The Extended Unova Pokemon Guide
by The Gentleman Xerneas
Summary: This Guide will give you the very best advice and information on how to raise, train, bond and take care of your very own Unova-native pokemon! Learn everything you can about your little (or big) friends! Written by the highly accomplished and quirky Pokemon Professor Fuhri. Note: The author is not held accountable for any murders or injuries inflicted by Pokemon.
1. Introduction

**A/N: Hi there! If you couldn't tell, this is a Pokémon guide, designed to educate Pokémon Trainers on how to interact and bond with their newly caught Pokémon. Of course we aren't talking about real life here; you can say that we're simply pretending that you're a new trainer who's just bought this book at the local Pokémon Center, so they can get along with their newly caught Pokémon.**

**Now, why did I make this fictitious guide, you ask? Well, I've had a look around the site, and I've seen a few Pokémon guides. However, only one seems close to finishing a whole region, and absolutely none of them include Unova Pokémon! So in this guide, I plan to write an extensive, educational guide going into great detail on how one can care for a Pokémon. Enjoy!**

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Hi there! If you're reading this, that means you've bought this book! (Well, I certainly hope so…) And if you've bought this book, that means you want to know much more about our friends, Pokémon!

I'm Professor Fuhri. No, not _Furry,_ Fuhri! I'm a leading Pokémon professor in the Unova region. Unlike that incompetent woman Professor Juniper, I don't send kids off to their deaths with pathetic Pokémon to conduct my research. No, no. All my research is done safely and securely, and has been compiled into this guide to help you!

Ah, I dawdled on, didn't I? Anyway, this guide contains comprehensive information on how to take care of, feed, bond and love your newly caught Pokémon in the Unova region. By following all of the advice kept within this handy book, you can confidently catch any Pokémon knowing that nothing is going to go wrong.

Every Pokémon is included, from the cute and innocent Victini, to the vicious and powerful Genesect! Whatever Pokémon you've caught native to Unova, it's right in this guide! I have also included special 'Celebrity Spotlights' every tenth chapter, so you can learn a little bit about all of the awesome people living throughout our lovely nation of Unova.

Now, I wholesomely encourage you to flick to the next chapter and start reading… Ah! One more thing!

Each Pokémon has a section labelled 'Warnings'. If it has as bold exclamation mark, like this one: **!** After it, you MUST read it! Not doing so could result in serious injury or death. Not all Pokémon are cute and cuddly you know!

Where was I again? Oh yes! Go ahead and turn to the next chapter, so your brain may drown in the wonderful knowledge of Pokémon!

Professor Fuhri

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**EDIT: I thought I should quickly mention this before someone points it out. You may have noticed that I capitalize things such as Pokémon types (Grass, Electric), moves (Tackle, Hydro Pump) and abilities (Keen Eye, Blaze). I'm aware that they are not proper nouns and it is therefore incorrect use of grammar. However, I am doing it on purpose for a reason.**

**I do it to differentiate between normal words and Pokémon terms. So for example, I capitalize the Pokémon type Grass to distinguish it from the noun, grass (any monocotyledonous plant of the family Poaceae). Likewise, I capitalize the Pokémon move Bite, to distinguish it from the verb, bite. (To grip with one's teeth)**


	2. 000 Victini

**Number: **# 000

**Type: **Psychic - Fire

**Species: **Victory

**Gender: **Male

**Japanese Name: **_Bikuteini – Romanized version is Victini_

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely High

**Description: **Victini… There's a lot to say about Victini. So much so, that I feel like this very first chapter is a little bit daunting.

Victini has a lot of special attributes or circumstances surrounding him, but the most prominent by far is that Victini is a legendary Pokémon. If you're so incredibly ignorant to not know what that is, a legendary Pokémon is exactly what it sounds like, a Pokémon that has transcended the ranks of the common Pokémon and made itself stand out through some great feat, ability or ascension to power.

There are many ways to become a legendary Pokémon. The first requirement to be legendary is extreme rarity; to the point where encountering one of your species is a once in a lifetime opportunity, or maybe even a never-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Most Legendaries have only one of their species, whether it's because they were born in special circumstances or because the rest of their species has been driven to extinction. But in some case there are multiple members of the species, wherein it becomes a legendary species instead.

As of now, Mew, Lugia, Latias, Latios and Shaymin are the only legendaries that have more than one of their species. Every other legendary is one of a kind. The Mew have nearly been driven to complete extinction, and the Lugia have been whittled away to only a few remaining members. The Latios and Latias population is stable, but they remain hidden up in there sky where we cannot observe them. As it currently is the Shaymin are the only abundant legendary species; to the point where they actually have a monarchy, consisting of two royal families that have been rivals for quite some time. It's worth noting that the Shaymin are not only the sole legendary species to have a monarchy, but one of the few species universally to have any sort of royalty at all. It's also worth noting that Keldeo used to be a highly common elite breed of Pokémon, before their species was completely decimated in the Septium wars. As it is now, the Keldeo that was raised by the Sacred Swordsmen is the last of his kind and due to his inability to bear children, will be the last of his kind.

Technically speaking, being a completely unique Pokémon such as Victini is enough to warrant you as a legendary, but in most cases it is not enough. In order for people to really regard you as legendary, you need to do or be something amazing, or have an extremely powerful or unique power, or perhaps you could have a unique history. For example, Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, Rayquaza, Uxie, Mew… All of these species are not only powerful enough to create and destroy as they please, but they've existed since the beginning of the universe and have all played vital roles in its conception. That's more than enough to make them legendary.

Whereas Pokémon such as Ho-oh, Lugia, Celebi, Jirachi, The Sacred Swordsmen… All these Pokémon are strong enough to destroy or enslave an entire region on their own… _*shudder* _but that's not the reason they are legendary. Instead, it is because they all have an illustrious history, as well as having profound powers that stand above those of the common folk. Jirachi practically secured his own zealous cult simply by granting wishes willy nilly.

Victini is legendary for two reasons; the second will be explained in the Lifespan subsection. The first reason Victini is legendary is because of the amazing ability he is accredited for. The 'ability to grant victory to anyone he desires, ensuring they will be victorious regardless of the circumstances.'

In other words, Victini can change the tide of a fight as he pleases, regardless of the size. Whether it's just a battle between two wild Pokémon, a full on scrap between warring clans, an entire world war, or even a battle to determine the fate of the universe. If you think about that for a minute, you'll understand the consequences this ability can cause. What if Team Plasma had successfully caught Victini four years ago and Ghetsis managed to convince Victini to help them? We wouldn't be where we are now, I can tell you.

But despite its strength, this ability has its limitations. You see, Victini's body acts like an energy generator. His little body produces truly gargantuan amounts of energy, which is stored away within his little physique through a method of condensation. He can choose to pass this power onto whoever he wants, filling them which so much power that their physical and mental capabilities increase sevenfold, making them capable of things they would never be able to do otherwise. With Victini's aid, even a common Patrat could fight on level with a Hydreigon. Recently a lot of youthful trainers have been declaring that they want to catch Victini, simply so they can troll other people by thrashing them with weak Pokémon. If they did that, they'll make Johto Elite Four member Joey and his top percentage Raticate very proud indeed.

The direct statement about Victini's power is the following: '_It creates an unlimited supply of energy inside its body, which it shares with those who touch it_.' While it sounds plausible, this is actually an extremely erroneous statement. Victini really can provide massive amounts of energy, but it is not an endless supply. In other words, no matter how hard Victini tries, he will eventually reach a point where his powers will reach a limitation and thus will be unable to ensure victory. Even he cannot help a normal Pokémon fight on level with someone such as Arceus, or even Reshiram. There's a vast threshold of strength between legendaries and normal Pokémon which is nearly impossible to transcend.

Victini is also very popular because of his adorable appearance. Just look at him! Who wouldn't want to pinch that check and coo softly? Yes, although legendary Pokémon are always part of the human conscious, Victini is extra popular. If you wander through Castelia's more glitzy district, you'll find Victini merchandise of all sorts, from bags to wallets to stationary to food…. If Victini realised how favoured he was I think he'd be a little more than flustered.

As expected of a legendary Pokémon, confirmed reports and sightings of Victini are extremely rare. I guess for his safety and privacy that's a good thing. But from the trickles of information that we have received over the years, it seems that Victini lives a nomadic lifestyle, constantly drifting from place to place all over the region. Because of this, Victini is knows the entire layout of Unova very well. He is sighted most frequently around ruins of the ancient castles and palaces that used to decorate the land, places that Victini once called home. Perhaps he's reflecting on his past, or perhaps he's mourning for all his friends who have died?

When spotted, he either flees immediately, or flashes the 'V' sign with a big grin, before disappearing. He's blindingly quick and on top of that he can render himself invisible, meaning that pursuing him is futile.

**Personality: **For a Pokémon of his great age Victini sure acts strangely. You'd think that someone who's been around as long as he would be a silent, wise old sage filled with calmness and tranquillity, spouting psalms and Aesop's that seemingly have nothing to do with the current situation.

But no, this is not the case. Instead Victini is a bubbly youthful little boy who likes to play games and have nap-naps in the afternoon. He treats everything like a game and flits about on the wind traveling across Unova on a permanently looping journey.

Victini is also highly curious and is prone to investigating anything that might prove to be fun. Even something like a balloon swaying in the wind will compel him to swoop down and investigate. However this boy is evidently not a fool, as he is always cautious and takes extra lengths to prevent himself from being exposed or caught by humans, his ability to turn invisible at will aids him in this attempt. In addition to that he's still alive after all this time, and has always been seen in a very healthy condition. It would seem he can feed himself and stay out of trouble just fine.

Judging from the silly and playful manner Victini acts, it would seem that Victini has a personality that resembles a human four year old, yet his intelligence and mental processing skills are considerably above average. Not to mention he has witnessed more in this world than anyone else in Unova has too. So despite being clever enough to outwit most people and having a decent understanding of adult topics like violence and sex, he is still mentally a youth and prefers to be treated as such.

Just over twenty five years ago Ghetsis began recruiting Team Plasma members in secrecy, preparing to build up his army to invade Unova many years later. As he had done all along, he tricked many, many well intentioned people into thinking that Team Plasma was an organization that fought for Pokémon rights. One of those well intention people to join was a wealthy man by the name of Jeffery Williams. He had a bad history of causing trouble for Pokémon by abusing his wealth, and after witnessing the damage he caused with his own eyes his guilt compelled him to atone for his sins. This was his incentive for joining Team Plasma.

But a few years after his recruitment, Ghetsis began setting aside the utmost trustworthy members and informing them of his real plan to take over Unova. After Jeffery had proven his loyalty to the cause by donated obscene amounts of money into their funds, he too was included in this council. Worse yet, the Shadow Triad had discovered the location frequently visited by Victini, and Jeffery Williams was selected as the agent to hunt Victini down and claim him. Ghetsis knew that Jeffery's elderly physique and kindly old face would win Victini over, rather than any of the other recruits, who were mostly grim, serious adults.

It went exactly as Ghetsis has planned. Victini was there at the Crue Ruins, and after offering him some food and playing some games Jeffery managed to earn his trust. Ghetsis hadn't planned for what happened next though, shocked and reviled by Ghetsis farce, and now having a desire to protect this kind and friendly legendary; Jeffery took Victini and ran into hiding. After purchasing a small storage warehouse underground on Liberty Island with his remaining funds, Jeffery finally set up a comfy playroom where Victini and he could hide in safety for the next few years.

But Ghetsis is a very determined man, and his Shadow Triad soon sniffed Jeffery out. In an attempt to protect Victini, Jeffery left him behind in that room and ran away, to draw the attention to himself and not Victini. They did not return to search for Victini after that, but Jeffery was never seen again. It is safe to assume they either murdered him, or captured him for torture. It was only four years ago when a mysterious boy visited Liberty Island to break Team Plasma's hold over it, and subsequently set Victini free to roam Unova again.

What does that story have to do with Victini's personality, you ask? Well, Jeffery kept a diary on the days he and Victini spent together, and that diary is the only thing that gives us an idea of Victini's personality in modern times. There are other sources, but they're a century old at least.

Anyway, within this diary Jeffery mentioned quite a lot that Victini was a very active boy, who hated being sealed away in such a small area. The only reason he stayed in there was because Jeffery had warned him that 'bad men' were outside, and Jeffery had promised to play games with Victini everyday so long as he stayed put.

Jeffery also noted that even though Victini has been alone for most of his life, he craves attention and nearly always wanted to be held and cuddled. He refused to sleep anywhere other than Jeffery's side and would become grizzly whenever Jeffery went out to buy more food or supplies. This matches reports and entries written hundreds of years ago where Victini lived in human castles for a period of time. They too insisted that Victini needed comfort and love in order to remain happy.

Before being sealed away and subsequently after he released, Victini frequently visited/visits all of the ruins and places where he once lived. You see, in the medieval times Victini lived at human castles for several years, a time that he remarked was 'the happiest time of his life'. He normally has a cheerful smile on his face; but when he stands in the ruins of his old and wasted homes, he has a look of sombreness and mourning. I think I can accurately say under that innocent exterior is a very sad and lonely boy who just wants someone to take care of him. After being alone for so long, he must be desperate.

**Lifespan: **As I've already made clear, Victini is _very _old, but I haven't mentioned how old he really is. Truthfully, we don't have an exact date, and that's because Victini was alive before humans even came into existence. If fact, Victini is the oldest living creature in Unova and is nearly as old as the region itself. Furthermore, he is the twelfth oldest creature in the Universe, coming into existence shortly after Regigigas.

Yes, that's right. At the very least, Victini is 500, 000 years old. He would have been alive back when the Mew population was still plentiful, a time when Arceus, Rayquaza, Uxie, Mespirt, and all the other ancient legendary Pokémon still wandered the Earth before going into hiding thousands of years later. While evidence is scare, Victini himself has hinted that he spoke with Groudon as he shaped Unova's Twist Mountain. During those times he travelled across the entire world, but a few thousand years later decided to choose Unova as his home.

He would have witnessed the Weather Trio war with each other, before sealing themselves away in their respective territories once they realised the damage they were causing on the land. He would have seen the Mew species gradually decline in number, as the Mew found themselves incapable of outcompeting all of the new species that had evolved from their own genetics. And later on, he would have seen the first humans being birthed and raised by Mew, only to quickly rise to superiority and hold dominion over Pokémon.

Over that time he would have observed humanity flourish across the world alongside Pokémon, as the Mew species swiftly withered away and became scare. And after that, he would have inevitably seen the Separation with his own eyes.

Much later on he would have seen the Relic Castle and its associated civilisation being developed, and the Volcarona goddess that made it her home. Sadly, its complete destruction will be nothing more of a bad memory for him.

Later, he would have seen Unova's second oldest legendary, Cobalion, come into existence and rise to power. Victini has indeed remarked that he saw Cobalion when he was just a little child. He didn't explain why, but Victini feels 'very sorry for that poor boy'.

And for the next few thousand years, Victini would have seen the mightiest civilisation come into play, and how the Great Dragon came to aid it. In the close future, he would the witness wars that ravaged the landscape, and the conflicts that caused that original Great Dragon to split into Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem.

The downfall of Reshiram and Zekrom… The Massacres caused by Kyurem… The Sacred Swordsmen meeting each other; and then becoming comrades to fight against humans… And every other historical up until this moment, Victini has seen it all. The entire history of Unova and even that of Earth is locked away within that tiny little head of his. Not even Uxie knows as much as Victini about history, because Uxie prefers to stay sealed away in secrecy, unlike Victini who wanders the Earth. Despite being capable of speaking in human, Victini almost never does so; but if someone could open him up to talking, then they could learn whatever they wanted to about history. It's plausible to assume that Victini is a big topic of conversation among historians.

Even though Victini is over half a million years old, he still hasn't show any signs of aging. _At all._ With that in mind, we've come to the conclusion that Victini does not age at all, or does so at such an extremely slow rate that it is unobservable. At this rate, Victini is expected to live forever, unless killed by someone or something else.

All of this and more as you'll see later on is the second reason why Victini is regarded as legendary.

**Diet: **Poor Victini. Centuries ago Victini befriended a human king named King Morieu, who resided at Castle Crue. For the next hundred years, Victini spent his days living happily within human castles and palaces, apparently becoming very popular with the royalty that ruled the land. It's also worth noting that during these times Victini met and befriended Meloetta, who was also very popular with human and made herself welcome in their castles. In those days, Victini happily sat on Morieu's lap and was fed the most luxurious food that medieval times could produce. According to the scribes, Victini's diet was no different from anyone else eating in the hall. With that we can assume that Victini is omnivorous, but probably has no idea that he ate Pokémon flesh. If he found out, I think he would have a major breakdown.

But inevitably war broke out and Castle Crue crumbled and King Morieu was killed. This was the first time that Victini encountered a human death, let alone one of his closest friends, and it shook him to his very core. Victini was taken by Duke Emeraldton to take refuge in other places, but eventually war forced Victini away from his human friends.

Ever since then, Victini has been forced to live off the land. His diet primarily consists of berries, fruits and vegetables found in the wild. Even though he has been sighted near human farms in times of famine, he has never taken food that wasn't his. It seems that Victini understands that stealing is wrong.

If in the chance Victini comes under your wing, feeding him shouldn't be an issue. He'll eat anything humans can, and on top of that he prefers to have small snacks, rather than larger meals. In recent times he's taken a liking to juice boxes and packets of cheese and crackers. He _can _be fed meat, although you absolutely cannot afford to let him know just what he is eating. What you don't know doesn't hurt you, but I still disapprove of feeding Victini meat. It just seems… sinful.

Remember, Victini is childish and likes being treated like a small child. He likes his food cut up into bite sizes pieces and he likes to drink out of cups with silly straws. Oh, and I've heard reports that he _really _loves gingerbread men; although he seems to be afraid of eating their heads. Going to that extra effort doesn't really help his diet, but it will sure make him like you a lot.

**How To Bond: **While every chapter in this guide is designed to help you bond and care for any Pokémon, the chances of you catching and subsequently befriending legendaries such as Victini is near zero. Considering that Reshiram is currently with N, and Zekrom is with some other unknown trainer, you will never be able to catch those two anyway.

Because of that, legendary chapters are more of a 'what if?' scenario, which simulates the scenario of that legendary being captured and befriended by a human trainer.

Of course the first step to catching Victini is finding him. The places he is most recently sighted at are ruins of old castles, most particularly Crue Ruins, which you can find just south east of Mistralton City. In the rare event that you do come across him, you need to be very quiet and gentle. It would be a good idea to set yourself aside and wait until Victini comes up to out of curiosity.

Be advised Victini is skilled at detecting people with bad intentions, so if you go there with the sole intention of catching him he won't show up. In other words, you can't catch him because you want to catch him. You can only catch him by wanting to be friends, or having noble intentions. This way, it makes it harder for evil people such as Ghetsis to get their hands of Victini.

I have no idea how to help you catch Victini, so we'll have to skip straight to the bonding process and assume that through some method you befriended Victini and convinced him to get into a pokeball on his own accord. But before I go into that, let me warn you of this; Victini is a subject of much debate and desire, and if people find out that you have him you're going to have enemies and unwanted attention coming at you from every angle. For your safety and the safety of Victini, I recommend you keep him a secret. People will be more than happy to send assassins after you to retrieve Victini if you don't hand him over nicely when requested.

Judging from both King Morieu's notes and Jeffery's diary, Victini becomes extremely clingy to his human friends, and demands a majority of their time and attention. You will be the only friend Victini has had in at least fourteen years, so he will treasure you very closely. I can guarantee that Victini will be unwilling to be away from you any longer than a minute. If you're walking around in public, you must warn Victini to become invisible and to not stray away from you. Even so, powerful Psychics such as Reuniclus and Gardevoir may pick up on his presence, so you still need to be careful.

Victini is highly emotional, and because of your close bond he'll take everything you say straight to heart. Victini is going to be in close proximity to you at all times, so he's going to soak up everything you say and do and come to a conclusion about it, for better or worse. At some point you may find yourself having a really bad day. Everything's turned to crap and Victini's clinginess is getting on your nerves, prompting you to give him a snappy retort. It may not seem like much at the time, but just that one comment could break Victini's heart. You're going to have to be mindful at all times and strive hard to have the patience of a saint.

Victini's strong desire to be with you at all times will make the bonding process happen quicker, so long as you remain positive and friendly. If you really want Victini to like you however, you'll have to frequently play games and dote on him, as though he were your own child. I suggest you take a day-care training course so you become familiar with how to treat young Pokémon.

Besides the constant attention, Victini doesn't demand much from you. All he needs to be happy is your love and affection, as well as necessities like food and shelter. For a creature powerful enough to bring all of Unova under its control, Victini sure is complacent.

**Love: **To everyone's surprise, Victini does have a sex drive and can fall in love just like anyone else. He _does _have a wise, intelligent mind after all, even if it is stunted by his immature and childish personality.

But firstly I must explain this to you, before you try anything on Victini. You see, Victini lacks an interest in women. In other words, he's gay. The most convincing evidence would be this; back in the reign of King Morieu, several woman (_including Meloetta!) _made romantic and sexual advances towards Victini, who in turn floated away in disinterred, or even disgust depending on the source you're reading from. It's worth noting that after having her heart broken like that, Meloetta was distraught for quite a while, and as a result she became homophobic. Furthermore, Victini showed an unhealthy interest in Duke Emeraldton, especially around bath time.

So yes, if you're male Victini may be the one coming onto you; even if you're totally oblivious to it. In the past he has been shown to be rather sneaky, using innocence and ignorance as a façade to convince people to do things to them they normally would permit. A good example would be bathing. A parent doesn't mind their four year old child bathing with them, but I'm sure any parent would be creeped out to the max if their thirty year old child tried hopping in the bath with them. Just like that, Victini will trick you into letting him get away with stuff.

Oh, and lock your bedroom door whenever you're getting dressed. Victini has habitual voyeurism and was known to watch the Duke getting changed through door cracks and such. Victini himself shamelessly calls this 'peep peep'.

If you really do feel like you're in love with Victini (and you need to thoroughly think this through beforehand) it's better to be completely honest and tell him when you're ready. As long as you but it bluntly he'll understand and make his own decision regarding the matter. If you've been really kind to him so far he's sure to accept. He's impulsive when it comes to decisions and the opportunity to be in a relationship with someone like you will not be something he's willing to pass on.

Even if you do go all the way with him, not much will change in daily life. If you keep behaving the same way, Victini will do so too. You could easily build an illusion that you and Victini are simply close friends if you want to keep the nature of your relationship secret from the rest of your Pokémon. But if you start acting more cuddly than usual, he'll be happy to hold you tighter as well.

**Battling: **Despite have such immense power, Victini strongly dislikes fighting and will always chose the option of fleeing rather than fighting, unless someone is in danger. If it's to protect someone in harm's way Victini will fight savagely to protect them. It's already clear that Victini is noble indeed, but if for any reason Victini believes that he may be killed, he will abandon the person he was protecting and flee for his own life. You can't blame the poor little fella.

No matter how close you are to Victini, he won't fight for you unless he understands that the attacking enemy is too strong for your other Pokémon to handle. Trying to force Victini to fight for you when he doesn't want to is a very bad idea, as it will make him uneasy around you and destabilize the trust you've worked so hard to form. Not every Pokémon is a battler, and Victini is the first example I can show you.

Even though he won't fight himself, he still can use his ability to strengthen you other Pokémon to the point where they are unstoppable. Victini's power is based on the receiver's base strength, and then it multiplies that to a ridiculous degree. Since we haven't been able to test it in lab conditions we can't figure out what the algorithm is, but he raises the receiver's power by at least x^ 10. With Victini's aid even a baby Patrat can fight toe-to-toe against fearsome Pokémon like Hydreigon or Haxorus. A single Shaymin could stand up to Kyurem, and Giratina… Giratina could end the universe.

Heck, Victini can even bless _you _as well! That's right; even if you're a sickly child you could easily swat the average Pokémon out of the way. The wild Pokémon themselves know this, so they will stay well out of your way if they see you and your little buddy coming down the path.

I must warn you that Victini's power is a dangerous thing. The person blessed by Victini often fails to realise how strong they actually are and cause more damage than intended. Years ago Victini blessed a man who was being attacked by a pack of Scrafty. Not realising how strong he had become, that man punched _through _the leader Scrafty's head, leaving a perfect hole. Needless to say, the surviving Scrafty fled in terror, and Victini was mortified.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Victini is highly friendly towards other Pokémon and will gladly accept them into the group. He's the kind of person who likes a big happy family where everyone plays nicely, although he'll always want to stick close to your side. Even if someone newly introduced appears shifty or suspicious Victini will grant them the benefit of the doubt. But if they make if evident that they have bad intentions Victini will warn you immediately.

Of course every other Pokémon you have are going to be astounded that they have a legendary Pokémon on the same team and they will more than likely all submit to him. If some refuse to do so, they others may turn against them. To us legendaries are simply that, Pokémon that are legendary. But to Pokémon, they are gods, deities and mighty leaders. As humans we don't have any of our own gods to worship so we can't understand, but most people worship or pay tribute to Arceus.

There should be no trouble at all with your team so long as Victini is there. Everyone will willingly obey him, and since you're above Victini they will follow you by default, if they didn't already. In some cases such as starter Pokémon they may be more loyal to you than Victini, but that should cause no problems at all. That is, unless they become jealous of all the attention you're giving Victini…

Not only is Victini popular with humans and Pokémon, he is also quite popular with the other legendaries of Unova. Cobalion is the second oldest Unova legendary, yet he is much wiser than Victini. Due to that all of them (even Kyurem!) respect Cobalion out of his age and wisdom, but they still understand who Victini is and consider him the 'cutie'.

Victini met Cobalion when he was only young, thousands of years before he came to know his comrades Virizion and Terrakion. Even though spoke to Cobalion for a very short period of time, he easily befriended Cobalion and Victini knows things about his past that not even Virizion or Terrakion know. It's been hinted that Cobalion's younger life was very miserable, and meeting Victini cheered him up enough to carry on.

Reshiram and Zekrom are also on friendly terms with Victini as he was around to watch them be born together, and he shortly made friends with them afterwards. While they were both sealed away in their respective stone Victini had been visiting both of them frequently up until his imprisonment on Liberty Island. Part of the reason why they woke up so quickly four years ago at N's Castle was because they realised that something bad had happened to Victini.

Even though Kyurem was born the same time as Reshiram and Zekrom and Victini was kind to him as well, he doesn't respect Victini as much as his two brothers. This may be partly because he was very savage and brutal back then and had no regard for other people's lives. In recent years he's become more aware of the consequences of his actions and perhaps may even regret them. If he and Victini cross paths, he will scare Victini off, but he will not attack him like he would any other Pokémon.

Victini once assisted Landorus in taking down Thunderus and Tornadus, and Landorus thanked him for it. It's not known if they've spoken since then, but Landorus remarked that he feels indebted to the little critter.

Meloetta dislikes Victini, mainly because he broke her heart so many years ago. She's not hostile towards him, but she makes it clear she is angry at him whenever she can.

On that note, be aware that if you hurt Victini in any form, the other legendaries _will _know about it, and they _will _hunt you down to punish you. It's Cobalion's specialty to punish cruel humans, so he'll know just what to do with you.

This is slightly off topic, but since you're (potentially) going to be the one taking care of Victini, I think it's important you know this…

Back during the Civil Wars Victini met Virizion, Terrakion and Keldeo for the first time. Keldeo was only a little boy and he probably doesn't remember, but Victini was on friendly terms with the other two Sacred Swordsmen.

Unfortunately, Crue Castle became the target of an enemy's assault and their North fortifications were heavily battered by the attacks. As a stroke of extreme misfortune, the Sacred Swordsmen had chosen that particular day to attack Crue Castle too, focusing their assault on the Southern walls. Crue's garrison because too stretched to hold both sides, and eventually the castle fell. The Sacred Swordsmen retreated, satisfied with their efforts, but the human solders from the North moved in and slaughtered everyone inside.

After Crue Castle fell and King Morieu was slain, Duke Emeraldton and Victini were the only survivors to crawl from the rubble and sneak away, not before Victini was traumatized by the sight of King Morieu's corpse. The Duke took Victini and fled to a nearby ruin to escape. Thinking that he was a soldier smuggling Pokémon slaves away, Virizion pursued him. Duke Emeraldton mistook Virizion as an enemy human soldier riding a Zebstrika, so he hid Victini away and prepared to fight to the death. He jumped Virizion around a corner, but Virizion's reflexes proved to be too fast and he gorged the Duke through the heart.

The Duke was well known for being a pacifist who fought for Pokémon rights, and he was one of the few humans the Sacred Swordsmen actually respected. Recognizing him immediately, Virizion apologized profusely, but it was too late. The Duke's last words before he died were: "_Virizion… Please… Please take care of Victini for me…"_

Regretting his mistake, Virizion took Victini and left. But he made the dreadful mistake of accidentally exposing Victini to the Duke's fallen body. After seeing that, Victini broke down into such as state that Psychic Pokémon couldn't even detect his mind. After seeing so much war over the last decade, and then the death of King Morieu, and now the death of his self-imposed lover the Duke, Victini's sorrow reached its logical conclusion.

Victini fled into the wilderness and wasn't seen again for another 159 years. When he returned to Unova, he seemed to have recovered his broken mind and was acting normally again. When asked by Virizion what happened, he responded that he went to a faraway land, where a pink fairy girl healed his emotions, a yellow pixie boy took away the bad thoughts, and a blue pixie boy gave him the determination to carry onwards in life.

I think we all know who they are…

**Warnings: **None at all. Victini is completely harmless and provides no threat at all.

**Summary: **Victini… To the trainer who befriends Victini anytime in the near future, you have your work cut out for you. Victini isn't the kind of Pokémon you can catch and then store away, you have to be there to support him every step of the way. Victini will only let himself be seen by someone kind and friendly, let alone be caught by them. With that alone I'm trusting that you're the right person to take care of Victini. That boy has been through so much suffering, seeing so much war and hatred, losing King Morieu, losing the Duke, losing Jeffery… If anything would happen to you I don't then anything could be done to heal him. Please, for all those people who can no longer do so, please take care of Victini…

**Next time… Number 001 Snivy!**

* * *

**A/N: Good God, this chapter turned into a massive info/history dump… If this is your first time reading this guide, then you should know that this chapter is a re-write. The original was pathetic and only half the size of this one. Victini's a legendary and he deserved more than what he originally had. Although this chapter focuses as much on Victini's history than it does the little bloke himself, but I guess that's not bad at all. **

**The parts that explained Victini's part were brief and rather vague. I might write a side story to explain it in a much better fashion. **

**Ugh, proofreading larger chapters like this is such a pain. I barely have the attention span to sit still for ten mintues, let alone thoroughly scan the whole chapter for errors and how to improve the flow of dialogue. I have no idea how professional editors can do this all day.**

**If I wasn't so inundated with the guide, my other half-written stories and my college studies I would write a small story that followed Victini's life to tie in with this chapter. But alas, I don't have sufficient time to do so.**

**Professor Fuhri sure took this chapter seriously, didn't he? I guess I wouldn't be good if his first chapter was full of insulting and snarky comments like usual. **


	3. 001 Snivy

**Number: **001

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Grass Snake

**Gender: **87.5% male – 12.5% female

**Japanese Name: **Tsutarja

**Description: **Ah, so you somehow obtained a Snivy. Those are really rare you know! You can only get them from special starter breeding centers… wait, you're not going on a journey for that idiot Juniper, are you? Sigh… How many kids' lives is she going to ruin? I'll just pretend like you don't work for her, okay? Good.

Snivy is the Grass type starter for Unova, but I seriously question why they chose that particular creature, you'll understand in the personality section. Anyway, Snivy are very intelligent, resourceful and have fantastic survival instincts. They have the courage to take on stronger foes, and the tactics to back it up. And from observation, they seem to be capable of negotiating with wild Pokémon in order to discourage them from attacking its trainer.

While initially suspicious of their trainer, they will loyally follow them when the trainer has proven themselves as capable and reliable. A loyal Snivy can be a wondrous asset on whatever adventure you're going on.

**Personality: **All Snivy are snide, smug and over confident; and it's made evident by the constant smirk on their face. Snivy think they are the best at everything, and they're not far from the truth. Unfortunately, this makes them quite condescending, something that discourages many beginner trainers. This attitude needs to be dealt with swiftly, or else you will end up with an arrogant Snivy that won't listen to a word you say. Explained further in the bonding section. Snivy do have a soft spot though, as heavily concealed as it is. Should they see a distraught trainer that they have come to trust, they will show that soft side in an attempt to cheer them up. They don't like doing this however, as they feel like it breaches their usually cold exterior.

As a contradiction, many, many Snivy develop crushes on their trainers, like all Starters tend to do. This can even reach the point where they consider you their Husband/Wife rather than trainer. Signs of a Snivy having a crush on you include blushing, affection, stalking, extreme possessiveness and jealousy. If you don't want to go down this path, you need to stomp out this behaviour immediately. Once it evolves, it's not going to fall out of love with you very easily.

**Lifespan: **Snivy, when evolved fully into a Serperior, tend to live as long as their human trainers. It is unknown why this occurs. Perhaps the Serperior feels like it no longer has a reason to exist and gives up on life, or perhaps years of pairing humans and Snivy together has altered their lifespans to match their trainers. Who knows…

However, a Snivy that has been unable to evolve will have not only stunted abilities and strength, but a stunted lifespan as well.

**Diet: **Being a pure Grass type, Snivy can gain sufficient sustenance from sunlight alone, given the right amount of sunshine available. However, they usually only resort to this to recuperate or avoid starvation. They will happily eat most vegetables, berries and Pokémon pellets, but remember, each Pokémon has their own tastes, and with a Pokémon as finicky as Snivy, they could become fussy and only choose certain foods.

**How To Bond: **When it comes to Snivy, tough love is usually the best option. When you first meet it, your Snivy will already be overconfident and see itself as the leader. This is why timid children are discouraged from choosing Snivy. You need to stomp that arrogant behaviour out immediately, otherwise your Snivy will _never _behave for you, especially once it evolves.

Keep in mind you need to be assertive, not abusive. If you simply abuse it, it'll retaliate and abandon you, a potentially deadly thing if you're in the wild by yourself.

When you first meet it, you need to appear confident and calm. Snivy are very observant, and if they see the tiniest bit of hesitation your wall of confidence will come tumbling down. Try and be its friend; not its master, or slave. Even though they see themselves as superior, they appreciate being regarded at an even footing. (Even though they don't have feet).

When setting out, you need to pretend you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Before even choosing your starter, you should have already done some research about the neighbouring routes, towns and local Pokémon species. With this extra knowledge, you can make yourself more confident, and allow your Snivy to be more confident in you as a result.

From then on, it's just a matter of upholding authority, kindness and compassion. Once a Snivy realises its trainer holds those three qualities, it will finally come down from its high Rapidash and see you as its companion.

**Love: **As typical of starter Pokémon, Snivy have a tendency to fall in love with their trainers. This is generally because since birth starters are promised that the trainer that chooses them will become their closest companion for life. Due to that, they have a habit of fantasising about this wonderful human who will barge into the starter centre and sweep them up in their arms, promising them that they will always be there for them. It's easy to get 'closest companion' intertwined with 'mate' as thus many Snivy greet their trainer with the expectation that they can have their way with you.

This leads to their arrogance, or even outright rage should you turn their expectations down, as they are secretly nursing their wounded heart after having the prospect of their only potential mate callously turning them down.

Marriages or informal unions between trainers and their starters are a common trend, and no one will be surprised if you follow it. You might want to hold off anything permanent until little Snivy evolves though, as devoting yourself to Snivy too soon could prove disastrous, especially if you decide someone else is worth your affection later on.

**Battling: **Snivy, like all starters, have been given battle experience prior to being chosen by a trainer. This, combined with the feisty attitude, leads to a Pokémon that is very eager for competitive battle. Snivy love to show their dominance over other Pokémon, and thus relish at the opportunity to battle. A Trainer who lets his Snivy show off its power is a trainer that is loved. Remember that.

As snide and sometimes cruel as they are, A Snivy abhors the idea of killing another creature. It will fight to protect your life, but don't expect it to slaughter everything, or _anything_ in its way. If you show yourself as a murderer, your Snivy will lose all the hard earned respect it had gained for you.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Whether it likes you or not, A Snivy will always be aware that it was the first Pokémon chosen by you. And in its eyes, it's always going to be number one. Always. It will quickly dominate any Pokémon you catch straight away, and impose its superiority. This is where you must be careful if you haven't already befriended your Snivy. There have been documented examples where Snivy have taken newly caught Pokémon and revolted against their trainer.

If you've already tamed your feisty little Snivy, then behaviour like this will be much less severe, and with a little coaxing it'll eventually warm up to other Pokémon. But _never _try to replace it with another Pokémon, Snivy are a very jealous species.

**Warnings:** If your Snivy sees you as a truly pathetic trainer, it will promptly abandon you. If this occurs in the wild before you have caught any other Pokémon, your life may be in danger. This is why befriending your Snivy is the top priority.

**Summary: **Overall, Snivy is a high-risk, high-reward Pokémon. If you can talk some sense into it, it'll become your closest companion. It's recommended for people who are confident and straightforward, but people who are shy, introverted or who are unsure of themselves are recommended to go with Tepig or Oshawott instead.

**Next time… Number 002 Servine!**


	4. 002 Servine

**Number: **# 002

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Grass Snake

**Gender: **87.5% male – 12.5% female

**Japanese Name: **Janovy

**Description: **If your Snivy has evolved into a Servine, then congratulations! You're a somewhat competent trainer. A Snivy only evolves when it has gained sufficient battle experience, and has developed a strong bond with its trainer. As with all evolutions, Servine gains a large boost in power. However, this also gives it a huge boost to its already huge ego. If you haven't already made yourself as an authority, you need to now. Otherwise, it'll run all over you.

Upon evolution, Servine's speed also increases dramatically. Because of this, it loves to run everywhere, trying to burn all the energy gained during the evolution process. As it zips along, it gives the illusion of sliding across the ground like its legless snake counterparts, such as Seviper. Its hunting and stealth skills also improve greatly, to the point where they can easily camouflage themselves against any flora. Servine love to practise these skills by running and hiding throughout vegetated areas, so it is advised you let them out frequently to engage in this practise.

**Personality: **Servine retains is prideful and somewhat vain personality from as a Snivy; but not only that, it often _worsens._ That right, your already arrogant Snivy has now become an even more arrogant Servine. Even tamed Snivy can throw aside any domination you had over it once it evolves, leading to more quarrels. Regardless of this, they are somewhat more caring of their trainers, as only a competent trainer can give a Snivy the training it needs to evolve; so they will probably respect you out of gratitude.

They are very proud of their newfound speed and stealth, so they will be very eager to show it off to everyone visible. However, if they continuously lose battles or fail repeatedly, they may develop serious inferiority complexes or a lack of self-confidence. This is made even worse if witnessed or inflicted by a fellow Snivy evolutionary. This needs to be dealt with immediately; otherwise it may potentially interfere with your Servine's evolution into a Serperior.

**Lifespan: **As stated in Snivy's entry, a fully evolved Serperior usually lives as long as their trainer. A Servine that never has the chance to evolve will live longer than an unevolved Snivy, but will most likely pass on before their trainer does.

**Diet: **Servine are able to photosynthesise like their pre-evolution, and can extract twice as much energy as well; thus making them a very enduring Pokémon. However, they cannot do this if they are dirty, so you must bathe them regularly so they can survive undisturbed. Alternately, your Servine will happily eat most edible foods, and as a plus, they are usually not as fussy as they were as a Snivy.

**How To Bond: **Now, how you should bond with your Servine depends entirely on whether you succeeded on asserting yourself back when it was a Snivy. Because of this, this section will be spilt into two halves. If you DID succeed in asserting yourself, see the GOOD section. If you DIDN'T, see the BAD section. Then carry onto the BOTH section.

GOOD: Even though you managed to convince your Snivy that you're not a total pushover, it will mostly likely try and challenge your authority with its newfound power. Dealing with this is simple. All you have to do is give clear examples as to why you're both its boss and its friend. The best way is to show off your tactical skills during battle. If you can help it reach its full potential and teach it all the new attacks and moves it can learn in its new form, all its previous respect and more will come flooding back.

BAD: This is very troublesome for you. Once a Snivy believes something, it will take an extreme amount of coaching to convince it to think otherwise. It will mostly likely not listen to your instructions and act according to its own whim and desires. It won't abandon you like a Snivy would, because as much as it looks down on you, it will still have grown attached to you.

In order to sort it out, you will need to toughen up a lot. Act tough. Act confident. Act calmly. Send your Servine out into battle and ensure it secures victory. Once it realises you took a level in badass, it will start paying attention to what you have to say.

BOTH: Remember, you are not only its owner, but its companion. And you need to act accordingly so it can believe that. Give it plenty of time out of its pokeball, and set aside time for just the two of you. Talk to it, ask it how it feels. Let it express its ideals and beliefs. Also, it is fantastic to set a goal that the two of you both want. That way, they will feel that they need to stay by your side in order to reach their dreams and become accomplished.

**Love: **Now, did you accept Servine's feelings when it was a Snivy? If not, it's going to be very pushy and be a lot more demanding. You are going to have a very, very tough time getting it off your back. (Or out of your bed). Seriously, if you thought your jealous, paranoid ex was troublesome you need to see a jealous Servine! It won't let anyone else get an inch near you, and will retaliate with fury should anyone attempt to do so.

If you accepted or even welcomed Servine's feelings as a Snivy, then it will be considerably more docile, and will be far less callous than its peers. It will still act dignified and won't let your relationship interfere with its public standing, but it will be warmer to you than otherwise. Additionally it will still act jealous, but will be more reserved knowing that it's your little special one.

**Battling: **As previously stated, Servine gain a great amount of power and skills when they evolved, along with a boost in confidence. Because of this, they are extremely eager to leap into battle and show off. However they will have no experience using their brand new moves and thus will turn to their trainer for help. Patrat and Lillipup are generally weak and common Pokémon and make great punching bags for your Servine to practise its great new moves, such as Leech Seed, Mega Drain and Leaf Blade. You must always try your best to let Servine battle as much as possible. It will very quickly come to dislike you if it feels that you are holding it back, or preventing it from reaching its full potential.

Since Servine are great at camouflaging against plants and can use flora to their advantage, they have a big advantage in forests and even grassy fields. They also function well in deserts, since the extra sunlight boosts their photosynthesis, and they have a typing advantage over all the local ground and rock type Pokémon. You must be very wary of cold weather though, Servine are weak to the cold and will be unable to photosynthesise if they sky is overcast.

Typing-wise, Servine can help in many places. You can easily glide through caves, given that the Rock and Ground types there stand no chance. The same applies for water-type Pokémon living in bodies of water. However, you must be careful of Bugs when walking through forests, as well as the Flying-Types hunting them. In these circumstances, Servine is best to put its hiding skills to use.

Additionally, be careful when walking through Chargestone Cave. The Klink inhabiting it will fully resist whatever you throw at them, and Servine will be unable to dodge and hide in such a small and barren place.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Servine will still see itself as the leader of all your Pokémon, and won't allow anyone to try and surpass it. They will always be your special little starter, and will burst into enraged, jealous fury should they feel they are in second place. While they won't be as rough as they were as a Snivy, they will still resort to bullying if they feel it is required. They will leave most of the orders up to you but if given the opportunity, Servine will start bossing the other Pokémon around.

For example, don't be surprised if you're in the forest as the sun sets, and leave your Pokémon as you go to the toilet before setting up your camp, only to come back and find your Servine ordering all your other Pokémon to set it up for you. Things like this can often be helpful, but it can lead to trouble it if clashes with what you actually want.

Because of this behaviour your Pokémon may either come to resent Servine, or look up to it. You need to resolve any resentment straight away, or your Pokémon will begin to fight and ignore your commands, a potentially dangerous thing when in the middle of a battle. Pokémon looking up to Servine is no problem at all, and is actually encouraged. Research shows that Pokémon fight more efficiently when they have another Pokémon in your party as a role model.

**Warnings: **None. Servine will no longer abandon you no matter how badly it looks down on you. And besides ignoring you and causing general mischief, it will cause no harm.

**Summary: **Overall Servine is generally much more behaved than Snivy, and is far more powerful, resourceful and versatile. It lacks the extra strength of Pignite, as well as the battle finesse of Dewott, but makes up for it through sheer tactics and instincts. The very moment you are sure your Snivy faithfully trusts you, you should encourage it to evolve into this creature.

**Next Time… Number 003 Serperior!**


	5. 003 Serperior

**Number: **# 003

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Regal

**Gender: **87.5 % Male – 12.5 % Female

**Japanese Name: **Jalorda

**Description: **Well done, you've finally proven that you are a capable trainer. Regardless of whether your Serperior liked or disliked you as a Servine, it will certainly respect you now. Many battles are required to supply Servine with the experience it requires to evolve into its final form, and a close partnership needs to be formed between the Pokémon and its trainer. Now that it is at the end of its evolutionary path, Serperior will be much different than it was as a Snivy or a Servine; you will certainly be surprised by the sudden change of personality, appearance and behaviour for sure. Did you know that Serperior is the tallest Pokémon in Unova, at a whopping 3.3 metres? It is also the tallest evolved starter Pokémon in the world!

Since it actually evolved into a Serperior, I can safely assume that you had no issues controlling its wily behaviour as a Snivy and/or Servine, (and if you did, you sorted it out). This is because any disobedient Servine has an almost zero per cent chance of evolving into a Serperior, since its lack of cooperation would prevent it from gaining the required experience or bond with trainer. From now on, it will obediently obey almost any command you give to it, unless that particular command compromises its great pride or self-image.

**Personality: **Serperior's attitude is a far cry (or hiss) from what it would've been as a Servine, and you would've noticed for sure. While its ego is still larger than any non-legendary Pokémon, it has deflated somewhat. It will now happily hold you on equal footing, and if you've been an outstanding trainer it may even regard you on a higher rank. Very few trainers gain this sort of respect, so this is a strong indication that you are a powerful trainer to be reckoned with.

It will be much more mellow, calm and composed. It will always hold its head high, and only bow when it senses a mightier or more famous creature than itself. Its cool exterior is never broken, and almost nothing seems to phase it. It now has a fierce gaze that can stop an opponent in their tracks. (That sounds like another certain legendary Pokémon…) Serperior will now take almost no one besides its trainer seriously, and will dismiss anything that wishes to battle with just a wave of its thick tail. However, when a creature remains unaffected by Serperior's stern gaze, that's when Serperior really takes an interest. A Serperior always acts respectful towards anyone it deems as an authorative figure.

**Lifespan: **For an unknown reason, Serperior pass on around the same time as their human trainers. An explanation for this has never been provided, but there have been many sightings of Serperior coiling around their trainer's graves for days on end, until they disappear permanently. Some speculate that the powerful bond forged between the Pokémon and human is so intense, that the Pokémon simply gives up on living and passes on to be with their friend.

**Diet: **Serperior now possesses the ability to 'amplify' sunlight within its own body. Basically, it now possesses a special form of chlorophyll found only within its own leaf-like scales, and using this special chlorophyll it can extract a vast amount of energy from sunlight, more than a normal plant or Grass-type Pokémon can hope to obtain. Due to this, Serperior can survive almost indefinitely if it remains within a sunny area. If forced to eat they will eat most edibles provided, but will turn up their snout at anything they deem as low-grade food.

**How To Bond: **You have already bonded strongly with your Serperior, otherwise it would have never been able to evolve. Even so, this does not mean your bonding times are over. Serperior is your companion, and has been for quite some time. By now you will be accustomed to each other, and (hopefully) get along well. But this doesn't mean you cannot improve your relationship! No, no.

Simply treat your Serperior as though it were your rich human friend from the estate down the road. Acting crude or overly silly may offend Serperior, but if you have behaved like this since you first met, then it may not mind at all.

As always, Serperior likes to prove itself worthy in combat, so battling is a good way of reinforcing your relationship. If you're confident enough, try challenging the Elite Four, because then your Serperior will not have to hold back and give it everything it's got. It will thank you dearly for giving the opportunity to fight people and Pokémon who are so distinguished.

To summarize, keep on treating it the way you always have. As your closest friend.

**Love: **If your Serperior had a crush on you as a Servine and you failed to discourage those feelings, it is now too late to stop them now. Whether you like it or not, your Serperior now considers you its mate. Its permanent mate. Keep in mind that Pokémon aren't concerned by gender, either. But given its sensible new attitude, it will respect your wishes if you do not return the affection, and will withhold itself from displays of adoration if you request it. However, this may lead to severe depression; so you need to remind Serperior that you do love it, just not in the kinky way it feels for you.

If you _do _love Serperior, then you will want to reaffirm with yourself that Serperior really is the right one for you. Serperior mate for life, and once you've confirmed that you are willing to fulfil that role, there's no going back. Serperior will also certainly outlive you, so it's an inescapable situation should you lose interest.

Most trainers who enter such a relationship with their Serperior knew that they were heading in that direction from the start anyway, so if you were confident back then, you shouldn't worry at all.

**Battling: **As said before, Serperior becomes a very powerful Pokémon after evolving. So powerful in fact, that if often almost never takes any Pokémon seriously, and usually swishes the opponent away with its tail or scares them off with one of its mighty gazes. However, when a Pokémon resists Serperior's gaze it will pay attention and take the battle seriously. If you have the fortune of encountering a legendary Pokémon, it will bow gracefully before battle.

Serperior has high speed for a Pokémon of its size, and formidable defences too. It will probably strike first unless in unfavourable conditions or against a notably fast Pokémon. Giga Drain and Leaf Storm are two powerful moves that will come in handy, just be careful of the debilitating effect that Leaf Storm has afterwards. If you have the money, you should go and buy the TM Calm Mind; because this will give a boost to these already strong special attacks.

Fire-types are popular amongst high ranked trainers, so it is suggested that you have a bulky water type like such as Jellicent to switch in should the situation become dire. Flying types are the other thing you should watch out for, especially the likes of Braviary.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Even though it still sees itself as number one, it will no longer fight amongst your other Pokémon. In fact, it now behaves quite the opposite. Serperior will often take on a motherly/fatherly role for young Pokémon, and assist and maybe even teach older Pokémon skills in battling. It will not, however, tolerate any sort of dissent and disrespect, whether it is aimed at itself or you. Serperior will make absolutely sure that each and every one of your Pokémon hold respect for the two of you, although this excludes legendaries.

**Warnings: **None. In fact, if anyone should be warned about Serperior it should be your enemies! From now until death, Serperior will be your faithful guard, protecting you from any danger.

**Summary: **Overall, while it may have been a little tricky as a Snivy, and a bit of a handful as a Servine, the hardships that it made you endure now have certainly paid off. Serperior is a powerful, noble and very loyal Pokémon. I may have to take back about the negative things I said about this family line in the Snivy entry. This Pokémon will remain with you for the rest of your life, so you can rest easy now that you have one eternal companion.

**Next Time… Number 004 Tepig!**


	6. 004 Tepig

**Number: ** # 004

**Type: **Fire

**Species: **Fire Pig

**Gender: **87.5% Male - 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Pokabu

**Description: **Ah, Tepig. A feisty but cheerful runt if I do say so myself. Tepig and its evolutionary line vary immensely from their starter counterparts Snivy and Oshawott in appearance, skills and personality.

Tepig is the Fire starter for Unova, and it makes the perfect candidate. They are naturally strong, to the point where most of your first battles will simply be One-Hit-Knockouts. Due to this, you may have to tell your Tepig to hold back if you actually want to capture another Pokémon. They are also very hardy and enduring, and can survive many more hits than most Pokémon. This is augmented even further when weakened, due to their ability Blaze. If typing is not taken into account and you focus solely on strength and endurance, Tepig will always come out on top amongst its fellow competitors. With all of this combined Tepig will make the beginning of your journey a breeze, and your first gym badges a trivial matter.

Initially, Tepig will be very curious about you and willing to befriend you very easily; although it may be frightened of you if you appear to be a cold or mean person. First impressions are everything.

**Personality: **Tepig are full of energy, and are constantly moving about. This is because they need to expend some of the pent-up fiery energy that is produced within them. They love to have fun and play games, and by instinct are a very youthful species. They are easily excited and can work themselves into a frenzy, which can sometimes cause trouble combined with their fire affinity.

Tepig are earnest and truthful; however, they are very naïve, and can be easily deceived by either you, or another Pokémon. If they realise they have been deceived, they will be very hurt and upset, and will likely throw one of their well-known tantrums.

What? You've never heard of Tepig's tantrums? Why on earth did you choose it then?! Oh well, I better warn you. You see, as good natured as they are Tepig can easily become angered or upset if treated badly. When this happens they will throw a huge tantrum, spewing flames everywhere and destroying anything breakable. If this occurs in a public area, you will end up paying a big repair bill. They will not, however, intentionally injure anyone, and if they do they will sorely regret it. This is bad as Tepig may become unwilling to use its fire attacks out of fear of hurting another person, so gentle words and comfort must be used to bring back its fighting spirit.

A Tepig's emotions are easily influenced, so you can swiftly calm it down again by talking sweetly or offering a reward. They certainly aren't the type of creature to hold a grudge and are more than willing to overlook past misdeeds. This has its limitations though, certain crimes may be forgiven, but they will not be forgotten; and if you consistently repeat the same mistakes Tepig will eventually wizen up and stop trusting you. A Tepig that doesn't trust it's trainer can have trouble evolving into a Pignite, for clear reasons.

**Lifespan: **As with all starters, A fully evolved Emboar will usually pass away in conjunction with its trainer; although some have managed to carry on for a longer period of time. A Tepig that has not evolved will usually age much quicker and die in about 30 years' time.

**Diet: **Tepig are content with standard Pokémon pellets, however they love a wide variety of berries. They have a tradition of roasting the berries prior to consumption, to enhance the flavour in their own way. They also enjoy sharing berries that they have roasted with their trainer, but take care not to show disgust even if you do not like it, otherwise Tepig will take offence. Alternately, Tepig will happily eat human food as well, although you must take care as they will try to roast that as well. If they are stressed or overly excited, they may burn their food to a crisp and make it inedible.

**How To Bond: **Tepig are simple creatures, and therefore are easy to bond with. The simple 'Battle – Feed – Talk –Play' strategy works just fine. You may not even have to put in ANY effort at all, since Tepig will be the one trying to bond with you! If you still want to give it your all, giving your Tepig the opportunity to sample many various specimens of berries will make it very grateful indeed. Setting common goals and then accomplishing them, no matter how small they are, will make Tepig feel better about itself and closer to you. Tepig is the kind of Pokémon that enjoys immediate gratification over delayed gratification, so quick instant pleasures will be more profitable than others.

**Love: **Starters have a habit of falling in love with their trainers as explained in Snivy's chapter. While Tepig is no exception, they aren't as vulnerable and seem more content just to regard you as a friend. In the event that it does fall in love with you, these emotions aren't as severe as a Snivy's, and thus aren't too much of a worry. Signs of a love-struck Tepig include blushing, devotion and an unnatural desire to be intimate. Since they are so easily influenced, these types of feelings can be easily discouraged. But if left to simmer, they may develop into full-blown love which will be a bit more complicated to deal with.

Just like Snivy, you can feel free to accept or reject this proposition. Tepig has a short attention-span, so if you constantly hold its feelings at bay, it will gradually lose interest in you anyway. Should you choose to embrace your Tepig, things will be different. Tepig might prove to be very demanding in terms of time and attention, and despite its friendly nature will not tolerate competition.

**Battling: **Tepig love to battle, although sometimes they may treat it more like a game and not fight seriously. This can potentially be a hazard if you are fighting wild Pokémon, because many, many wild Pokémon are envious of trained Pokémon and will think that they are being mocked, and will attack out of jealous rage. But when Tepig does fight seriously, many Pokémon and rivalling trainers will receive a harsh reprisal.

When first meeting Tepig, it will possess two offensive moves; Tackle and Ember. While they are both weak attacks, Tepig can put both to good use in standard battle. As it becomes close to evolving it will learn two new moves, Defence Curl and Flame Charge. The two of these used in tandem make a very powerful combo! Defence Curl will raise Tepig's defence, making it even more durable than usual. Using Flame Charge right after will deal a good amount of damage (especially with STAB) and will also increase Tepig's speed. To summarise, Tepig will raise its defence against any attack prepared by the foe, deal a good amount of damage, and then be able to use its next move even quicker. This tactic will make it possible to quickly take out any opponent that doesn't have a typing advantage or high defence.

Be very wary of entering caves, as all the Rock and Ground types will resist whatever Tepig has to give and dish out some severe punishment in return. Battling in forests should be no challenge as well, given that most of the Grass type inhabitants will have a crippling disadvantage. Just try not to burn the forest to the ground.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Unlike Snivy, Tepig will happily welcome any new additions to your team. It'll appreciate having a youthful companion to play games with, and will enjoy having an older, more experienced Pokémon to look up to. However, Tepig may experience some jealousy if it feels that another Pokémon is receiving more affection that it is, so be careful to balance it out. Keep in mind that some tougher Pokémon may not appreciate Tepig's juvenile attitude and strike at it if they feel overwhelmed.

**Warnings: **As long as you know how to deal with Tepig's tantrums when they arise you should have no issues.

**Summary: **Overall, Tepig is a reliable, friendly Pokémon with few repercussions and will serve you well on your travels. They are recommended for high-spirited or light-hearted people, but are considered a poor match for people who are serious, short-tempered or immature. An immature trainer can lead to an immature Tepig, which can be very bad indeed if no one else is around to control the two of them.

**Next Time… Number 005 Pignite!**


	7. 005 Pignite

**Number: **# 005

**Type: **Fire

**Species: **Fire Pig

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Chaoboo

**Description: **Good job! If your Tepig evolved into Pignite, then you're doing a good job of raising it. It doesn't really take much effort, but it's still an indication that you and your Pignite are getting along and make a good team. Now that it has evolved, Pignite is now a biped instead of a quadruped. In other words, Pignite now walks on two legs instead of four. Due to this, it will have to adjust to walking in this new fashion, so some patience will be required.

Pignite have a special organ which replaces a stomach; however it still serves the same purpose. Within this organ a flame continuously burns, producing energy for the Pignite to put to use running its bodily functions and heightening battling potential. Any food that is swallowed is burnt up instead of digested. This increases the power of the flame and by extension, increases its strength. When Pignite falls ill or is severely weakened, smoke will begin to pour out of its mouth to signify its weakened state. If this happens, you need to take Pignite to a Pokémon Centre straight away, otherwise it may die.

Interestingly, Pignite becomes a part Fighting-type upon evolution. However, it can only learn one fighting move in this stage; Arm Thrust. It instinctively learns this move immediately upon evolution and will want to test it out, so you may want to but some practise equipment, otherwise you may find Pignite throwing your furniture around.

**Personality: **Pignite is still kind and friendly; however it is much more competitive and easily excitable. On the first day of evolution it will barely be able to contain itself, due to the excess power obtained through evolution. Over the next few days it will calm down slightly as it learns how to manage. Pignite's emotions can now change erratically and spontaneously, depending on circumstances. It hasn't lost its temper either, so you need to be wary of that. However, within this stage of evolution Pignite's tantrum will be more of a vehement protest rather than a rampage, as it would have wizened up by a noticeable amount.

**Lifespan: **Yeesh, I'm getting sick of repeating myself in this section… A fully evolved Emboar will die around the same time as its trainer; and a Pignite that doesn't evolve will die at around 60 years.

**Diet: **As stated in the description, any food devoured by Pignite is instantly burnt up to provide fuel for its ever burning internal flame. Because of this Pignite can consume a huge variety of foods, they can even eat non edible foods that burn easily such as paper, wood or cardboard. However, you **MUST NOT **feed it anything explosive or highly flammable, as those materials can react within Pignite's flame and explode, instantly killing it. A few examples include: gunpowder, kerosene, oil, aerosols and hydrogen. Although I seriously doubt any trainer would be stupid enough to feed any of those things to any of their Pokémon anyway. If feeding something not normally consumable to Pokémon, check its composition first.

**How To Bond: **Pignite are still a simple species, so they are content to battle their hearts out to bond with you. The more battles they win, and the more frequently, the more accomplished they feel and as a result the more grateful they are to you. Make sure to encourage them before each battle and always compliment them after each battle, regardless of whether they won or not. When they feel that you are there for them in any circumstance, they will stand by you in any condition in return.

**Love:** If it had a crush on you as a Tepig and kept those feelings until now, you better prepare for trouble, and make it double. Because you never discouraged its affection, it will assume that you feel the same way. And being the determined Fire-type that it is, it will be unwilling to take no for an answer.

If you're already in a happy relationship with Pignite then things should proceed smoothly. It'll be happy to sit alongside you whichever direction you want things to head. It still isn't going to let anyone try and romance you though, Pignite may be friendly but it will not shirk in the face of opposition, and will be more than happy to Arm Thrust them over Twist Mountain!

**Battling: **Upon evolution, Pignite loses its weakness to Rock. Unfortunately, it gains a weakness to both Flying and Psychic types. Munna, Gothorita and Duosion are all Pokémon you need to be wary of. The most dangerous Pokémon against Pignite is without a doubt Sigilyph, which can deal huge damage with both its Flying and Psychic attacks.

Arm Thrust is the only Fighting-type move that Pignite can naturally learn; however it can learn both Focus Blast and Rock Smash via TM, both powerful moves that can come in use inside and outside of battle. With these two moves travelling through caves should be much easier, as now both Rock types such as Boldore, and Steel types such as Klank now have a reason to fear you. Excadrill is a risky case, as it has a weakness to both Fighting and Fire type moves, but can easily dish out punishment with its Ground moves.

Two fantastic moves that Pignite learns naturally are Rollout and Heat Crash. Rollout is a Rock type move, and thus can counter any Flying type Pokémon causing you trouble. Heat Crash is the Tepig evolution line's signature move, as it can be a very useful one. Heat crash takes the weight of both Pokémon into account; so it will be very effective against smaller Pokémon, and less effective against larger Pokémon. This move can be used to counter a resistant Pokémon if it is smaller than you, such as Tympole.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **As impulsive as it is Pignite is still a very friendly Pokémon, and as such it will be kind and cheerful to most of the Pokémon you capture. However, some small or younger Pokémon may be frightened of Pignite's big form and overly hospitable nature; so you may have to hold some sort or group activities, where they can learn to rely on each other.

Because of its honest nature Pignite may be suspicious of Ghost type Pokémon. Racism does occur within Pokémon species, you know.

**Warnings: **Watch out for the occasional flames that leap out of its mouth, which can lead to burns. Make sure you move away if Pignite looks like it's going to sneeze, as well.

**Summary: **Pignite is a tough and dependable Pokémon that can tear through opposition and is easy to manage and take care of. It easily befriends other Pokémon and is a good team player, and is kind enough to care for both it's trainer and fellow Pokémon. It does however have a few weaknesses that you need to be aware of when battling, and a strong spirit that you will have to patiently nurture.

**Next Time… Number 006 Emboar!**


	8. 006 Emboar

**Number: **# 006

**Type: **Fire - Fighting

**Species: **Mega Fire Pig

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Enbuoh

**Description: **Look at this fella! I bet you were surprised when your Pignite evolved into this bulky creature, weren't you? Emboar may be much larger and tougher than Pignite; but it is still the same Pokémon at heart. Reaching a final evolved form is a massive lifetime achievement for any Pokémon, but most specifically for a starter. Due to this, Emboar may be very prideful or emotional, so congratulating them would be a very nice thing to do.

Emboar may not be aware of its own strength at first, so you need to give it time to adjust and learn its limitations. Take it for a walk and let it try out its new form, and let it practise on some moderately strong Pokémon such as Watchog and Herdier. If you throw it straight into battle without giving it enough time it will be very disorientated and may accidentally cause harm to itself, you, or your competitor.

Out of all the starters, Tepig is the easiest to train and evolve into an Emboar. However, that does not mean actually evolving into an Emboar is an easy task. It requires many battles and an intimate relationship, so you can sit back and honestly call yourself a good trainer.

Out of all three starters, it would seem that Emboar is the most recent to come into existence. Serperior's reptilian lineage dates back tens of thousands of years ago, and Samurott's ancestors first took step onto the shores eons ago. In retrospect no evidence has been documented to prove the Emboar family existed any longer than a thousand years ago.

**Personality: **Emboar retains its cheerful and benevolent nature; but just like all other fully evolved Fire types it's already temperamental attitude becomes even more volatile upon evolution. But don't worry; it's not going to turn into a wrathful force of destruction, no, no. It will have a strong desire to battle certainly, but it understands that you don't have the stamina to continue like it does, and it will respect that.

Normally Emboar are very friendly and carefree, a stark contrast to Serperior's cold mannerisms and Samurott's gentle yet stern personality. Out of all three they are the most open, and thus most likeminded people choose Tepig knowing they'll have a funny friend to have for the rest of their life. While Serperior and Samurott are scowling in the background, Emboar and its trainer will be roughhousing around all day long.

**Lifespan: **As always, a fully evolved Emboar will typically die around the same time period as its trainer. However, Emboar seems to be capable of carrying on without its trainer more frequently than the other two starters.

**Diet: **Emboar retain their flame organ from being a Pignite; however it has now doubled in size. Obviously, this means that twice as many things need to be consumed as fuel. It also means that the items you feed it need to be more efficient; because the intensity of the flame will instantly incinerate anything small or easily flammable. Things like berries no longer provide sufficient sustenance, however Emboar will insist on eating them purely for the delicious taste. Solid, long-lasted fuels are fantastic, because they provide great amounts of fuel and last for a long time, allowing Emboar to fight and endure for extended periods. Some good examples include thick, solid types of wood, coal and charcoal, and in extreme circumstances peat will suffice.

**How To Bond: **I feel as though I don't even need to write anything within this section, because you should already know how to bond best with Emboar since you've given it enough attention to evolve all this way. Whatever you've been doing with Emboar up until now must have been working fantastically, so keep on trucking!

**Love: **The romantic life of a Tepig or Pignite may be fleeting or trivial, but evolving into Emboar is when it will sit down and consider finding its lifetime mate. Needless to say, you and Emboar must have been heading in this direction for quite some time now, so Emboar will be expecting you to make some sort final confirmation, are you going to stay as its partner? Or did you change your mind? It's old enough to finally accept your decision without complaint, but if you turn Emboar down now, expect it to be _very_ broken. As in its heart completely shattered and lying in pieces on the floor.

**Battling: **Emboar now loves to fight with a passion that is difficult to compare. Emboar now has a desire to learn and perfect many different Fighting type moves; unfortunately Emboar cannot naturally learn anymore with the exclusion of Arm Thrust. However, there are many Fighting type TMs that it can learn, Brick Break being one of them.

Emboar is an absolute beast! Anything that has a typing disadvantage will be bowled right out of the way, and even Water types may have to take it seriously. It can take an obscene amount of hits, and shrug off many physical attacks; but you must be wary of special attacks. Hydro Pump and Scald are two moves that you must be very wary of; a well-directed Hydro Pump can take down Emboar in one hit.

However, Emboar can learn Solar Beam via TM. This is absolutely fantastic method to counter Water types; and since it is a special move, allows you to bypass the physical defences of many bulky ones. Beware of Jellicent though, as its high special defence will ensure that Solar Beam won't cause as much damage as you would expect.

Emboar is strong and bulky; however he is quite lumbering and slow in return. Due to this, you need to be wary of speedy opponents, especially those of the Flying type. Emboar will be torn to pieces by Flying types, given that it will have a tough time even landing a hit, since they will most likely stay up in the sky and out of range. This can be countered by teaching Emboar the TM Stone Edge. Sticks and stones may break their bones, and a Stone Edge will certainly screw them over.

As if Emboar wasn't already overpowered as it is, it can also learn Flamethrower and Flare Blitz to augment it. It can also learn Roar, which can quickly get you out of unfavourable circumstances.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **As always Emboar is friendly and kind; however upon evolution it develops a strong attachment to both its trainer and fellow Pokémon. For anything younger or smaller than itself, it will develop a motherly/fatherly bond, and behave as such. Unfortunately, many small Pokémon may be frightened of Emboar's hulking, bumbling form. You will have to teach your Pokémon to trust it and reassure them that Emboar means no harm.

For older, more capable Pokémon, Emboar will try its best to help them battle and grow accustom to life under the guidance of a human. If it shares a typing similarity, you may find that Emboar even taught them a brand new move!

Emboar's benevolent nature also allows it to sense out Pokémon with bad intentions, so if you find your Emboar acting unusually hostile to a recently caught Pokémon it is fair to suspect that Pokémon of a disloyal disposition. You should always trust your starter Pokémon over any other new addition.

**Warnings: **None. Emboar is slightly clumsy, but there should be no need for concern. But you must be careful of its sneezes, which are powerful enough to be considered an actual Pokémon attack.

**Summary: **Emboar is a powerful, loving Pokémon. Its speed is regrettably dawdling, but its raw power and endurance should even that out somewhat. It makes a great companion and ally, and can bring you through any challenge. Its temper can sometimes be unpredictable, but it's something that any trainer can adjust to and predict beforehand. If you like to blast headstrongly into every challenge you meet, Tepig (and by extension) Emboar is the right Pokémon for you.

**Next Time… Number 007 Oshawott!**

* * *

**A/N: From now on, I'll add an author's note and fun fact section down here, separate from the story itself.**

**Fun Facts: Emboar is the only evolved starter in Unova to have a second type. (Resulting in the dreaded Fire/Fighting combo)**

**It is the only starter line in Unova with a signature move.**

**Emboar has the highest base HP, base Attack and single stat of all fully evolved starter Pokémon.**

**The Emboar family is based on Chinese culture, whereas Serperior's family is based on French royalty. **


	9. 007 Oshawott

**Number: **# 007

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Sea Otter

**Gender: **87.5% Male - 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Mijumaru

**Description: **Ahh, Oshawott. This little oddball is the Water starter for Unova, and it does a fantastic job of it! The laid-back Oshawott is very, _very_ different from the callous Snivy, and the feisty Tepig.

Oshawott aren't as interested in fighting as the other two starters, but that changes very quickly upon evolving into a Dewott. Because of this, a little encouragement may be required in order to make sure they have enough battle experience to evolve, upon which they will gain enough desire to fight to handle themselves. Oshawott sacrifice defence for offense; in other words they can dish out huge damage, but can take very little in return. Another name for this is a 'Glass Cannon'.

Oshawott does have decent speed as well, but nothing that makes it stand out against other Pokémon; although some real magic happens when it reaches its Samurott form. Due to this you need to be wary of Snivy, because its high speed and type advantage makes it a serious threat.

**Personality: **Oshawott are known for being easy-going, laid-back and carefree. They like to take it one step at a time and enjoy the little things in life. They prefer playing and having fun to battling and overall have a childish demeanour that make quite a few people suffer from extensive nosebleeds. Because of their youthful behaviour they may act very immaturely and play around foolishly, but they mean no harm. They also have a fantastic sense of humour and love making others laugh more than anything. Additionally they may sulk when they don't get what they want, or when things don't turn our favourably. But since they are so agreeable, they will get over it quite quickly.

Unfortunately, the combination of their kindness and chilled nature makes them very gullible, and they can be exploited cruelly without being aware. Because of this you should avoid extended interaction with wild Dark or Ghost type Pokémon, who may whisper heretical words while you are not looking.

Additionally, an Oshawott can develop a serious condition of self-doubt or lack of self-esteem if they constantly lose battles, or if they feel like they are letting their trainer down. This can severely compromise their ability to evolve or develop proper battling talent, so this must be dealt with. Simply tell them that they did their best and that's what matters, whether they win or lose. This will keep their spirits up and keep a good link of faith between the two of you.

**Lifespan: **Goodness, must I always repeat myself here? A fully evolved Samurott will live as long as it's trainer, but if it has other commitments (such as being the leader of a large family of Oshawott evolutionaries) it will painfully continue on with its life. However, starters do not like living on without their trainers, so their continued existence will be an aggrieved one.

An Oshawott that never evolves will sadly live only a few years, about 20 at maximum, which is far shorter than an unevolved Snivy or Tepig. No scientific evidence has been provided to explain this.

**Diet: **Oshawott love seafood! They greatly enjoy the taste of any fish Pokémon, and will settle for something as common as Basculin. Shellder and Clampearl are considered very rare treats that Oshawott develop cravings for, and slowpoke tails are considered a once-in-a-lifetime delicacy that every Oshawott dreams of one day sampling. Seaweed will do if they are very hungry, but they won't enjoy it very much.

As an alternative, they will gladly eat berries or Pokémon pellets, and sometimes even human food. Oshawott love to show off the fact that they can crack open hard berries with their scalchop, so make sure to pay attention and applaud when it does so.

**How To Bond: **Oshawott consider their trainers to be kindred spirits, and as such will happily leap into your arms and trust you from the very first moment you meet. You must never betray this faith, as it will scar them and warp their minds into believing humans are bad creatures. Simply spending time with Oshawott is a good way to bond, and since they don't care for battling you may want to cross that out on your bonding list. They yearn for the sea, so spending time with them at the beach will not only make them happy, will teach them that you really do care about them. They also like to nap on hot days, and I'm sure yours will really appreciate it if you join them for an evening slumber.

**Love: **Oshawott have a high chance of developing a crush on their trainer, as with all starters. They aren't as bad as Snivy, but they sure can let their feelings be known if need be. They can act jealously can try to keep other Pokémon away from you if they feel their romantic situation is being jeopardized. Thankfully at an Oshawott's young age, feelings will certainly not be sexual.

If you return the feelings and tell Oshawott, it's happy cries of 'Osha! Osha!' will be heard all across the landscape for the rest of the day. It will be content to be held in your arms and snuggled all the time, but it won't let anyone else fill that role.

**Battling: **As stated, Oshawott do not really care for battling. Because of that, they will likely not take it seriously. If there is a reward however, then they will put all of their effort into it. And if they realise a companion's life is in danger they will fight until exhaustion to protect the one they love.

Oshawott only has two type weaknesses, which is the least out of all the starters. However, with one of those being the common Grass type you need to be careful; especially when travelling forests, as you can easily be outnumbered by the common Grass types, such as the Sewaddle and Deerling families, who will tear through Oshawott's low defences immediately. You should try and catch a Sewaddle straight away to deal with them instead of sending out poor Oshawott.

In the water, Oshawott swiftly takes dominance. His normally average speed doubles or even triples, increasing his evasion at the same time. Due to that, you won't have to worry about his defences as much. Its attacks also hit harder and can take out most things without a resistance, especially if used in coordination with a Tail Whip.

The cherry little fellow also makes cave explorations a breeze, since all the Rock and Ground types are naturally weak and have few counters. Oshawott's silly nature may mean it might wander off into the darkness of the caverns however, so you must pay attention to it.

Oshawott starts off with the standard Tackle attack, and should learn its first Water attack, Water Gun after your first few battles. When Oshawott has earned a decent amount of experience it will learn Focus Energy, which will really give your enemies a reason to quiver.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Oshawott are trusting and will welcome any new potential team members; it will try it's best to befriend everybody and makes an efficient diplomat. Even so, Oshawott may come to dislike any Pokémon of a serious or grumpy nature, which will clash with Oshawott's reserved conduct, and may result in squabbles between the two. To resolve this you need to teach Oshawott that some people and Pokémon aren't as chilled as it is and it needs to accept that.

**Warnings: **None. Oshawott is no problem at all and will slowly take each step to victory alongside you. While its youthful behaviour may seem off-putting at first, most people can easily grow to like it.

**Summary: **In terms of battling, Oshawott is slightly less reliable than the other starters. It lacks Snivy's tactics, and it lacks Tepig's endurance, but in exchange it has great fire (or water) power which can blast away enemies should Oshawott get off its butt. They are a perfect match for people who are timid, or who like to takes things slowly and enjoy the scenery. Both Snivy and Tepig prove to be too overbearing for many trainers, so Oshawott is a very favourable alternative. They don't go along well with people who strongly like to battle, or people who are overly serious.

**Next Time… Number 008 Dewott!**

* * *

**A/N: Oshawott is my favourite starter for Unova, and used to be my favourite starter overall until Chespin dethroned him. Sorry Oshawott!**

**Fun Facts: Oshawott is the only Unova Pokémon whose name begins with the letter 'O'. Oshawott is based on a sea otter pup, and its scalchop is based on how otters crack open clams on their bellies. It may also be based on a tekken – A Japanese war fan. (Yes, they used fans to kill people. Isn't Japan awesome?)**


	10. 008 Dewott

**Number: **# 008

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Discipline

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Futachimaru

**Description: **So your cute, fun-loving Oshawott evolved into a Dewott, huh? Well, your days of idle relaxation and games are now over. Dewott are a serious species of Pokémon that love to battle and spend extensive hours honing their battling skills. They aren't determined terminators though; they still love you as their trainer and will always set aside hours each day just to be with you.

Most of Dewott's training consists of mastering and perfecting special techniques with their two new scalchops that they obtained upon evolving. A Dewott's swordsman skills are its pride and joy, and it will do everything it can to ensure that it stands out amongst other Dewott. It also works hard at improving its speed, because he who is swifter of sword is first to make heads roll.

Do not be disheartened by your Pokémon's sudden change in personality and appearance. It is still the Oshawott you once had, it has just grow up and is taking on more responsibilities is all. It still loves you and will still stand by your side until your day of reckoning has come. Aren't Pokémon wonderful and faithful creatures?

**Personality: **Dewott has given up its childish and silly attitude, and taken on a much more serious, calm and composed demeanour. It wants to improve at everything it can, and will therefore work relentlessly until its goals have been reached. This may all sound frightening, but you mustn't be upset. When it has finished its daily training it will stop to snuggle up beside you; and if it ever feels that you are lonely or need affection it will gladly surrender its training time to comfort you.

As composed as they are, they can become stressed and frustrated when they are unable to practise enough or overcome a certain obstacle regarding their training. These are usually only temporary and will shortly be overcome; as a Dewott's determination can overcome almost anything.

Even though they may be nearly always placid on the outside, internally they still care very deeply for their trainer. If you were to ever become injured Dewott will become extremely distraught, especially if it failed to protect you. And if you were to ever say cruel words to it, it would become deeply wounded emotionally. And given a Dewott's habit of concealing its true feelings, this can result in them locking away their pain until they can't handle it anymore, and collapse under the pressure. Because of this it is advised that you encourage your Dewott to often express itself and release any potentially pent-up feelings.

**Lifespan: **A fully evolved Samurott… I think you get the point. A Dewott that fails to evolve will normally live to reach 50 – 60 years of age. However if its trainer dies, and the death is a direct result of the Dewott failing to protect its trainer, then Dewott will commit a special type of suicide called seppuku, out of shame and overwhelming grief for failing to protect its trainer. If for any reason Dewott is unable to do this (such as intervention) Dewott will remain a broken husk of what it once was, unable to escape its misery.

**Diet: **Dewott still love sea food of all kinds, and given their new strength they can take on larger meals such as Alomomola. If you feed it a Slowpoke tail for the first time now, it will give a very rare display of erratic glee as it accepts this most precious of gifts. They will eat standard Pokémon and human foods as an alternative, but prefer traditional Japanese foods such as onigiri, sushi, udon and ramen noodles and miso soup.

**How To Bond:** Dewott will need some time to be alone so it can concentrate and work on its skills. However, it will nearly always appreciate you being there to watch or encourage it and even more-so if you join in and practise alongside it. Having food prepared for it after a hard day of battling or training will reinforce the fact that you care for it, and it will certainly appreciate the effort. Giving encouragement and advice is another lovely way to bond, as it makes it clear that you genuinely want it to improve.

Basically, help Dewott in its practising and battling in every way possible while showing love, affection and support all at the same time. It may be daunting and tiresome, but it'll pay off when it evolves into a mighty Samurott!

**Love: **If your Dewott was attracted to you as an Oshawott, its feelings will become more concrete now. If you were in a relationship with it as an Oshawott, it will take it more seriously and act more like a loyal servant rather than a flirty partner. In other words Dewott won't be as intimate as other potential partners, but will be loyal to a fault and adamantly stand by you in any circumstances. The may not be so forthcoming about their affection, but they are truly reliable partners.

**Batlling: **A Dewott is always willing to show off its battling potential, especially after it has learned something new. Even a weakened or injured Dewott will stubbornly limp into battle to fight valiantly. They give every battle their very best no matter what the circumstances; and they will only flee when they feel that their trainer's life is in peril. They use their scalchops to deflect attacks until they can close in on the opponent and deliver scathing wounds, and use every element they can to give themselves the victory, examples being the environment and the weather.

Rock and Ground types will scurry and hide every time you enter a cave, so don't expect many battles unless you come across some very arrogant Boldore. Dewott now excels at combat within water, and now even other Water types can be made dizzy by Dewott's swift attacks. Forests are still a concern, because not only do most residents have a typing advantage, but Dewott has an environmental disadvantage. However, Dewott can learn a move that can counter then, as you'll see…

Upon evolving into a Dewott it learns it's iconic and most precious move – Razor Shell. Using this move, it can turn its scalchops into mystic blades that slice apart everything. It's a powerful and useful move that can come in handy inside and outside battle. What's that? You can't obtain the HM Cut? A piddly tree is obstructing your path? _SLASH._ What's that? You don't have Strength and a boulder is blocking your way? _SLASH._ What's that? A construction worker is blocking your access to a bridge? _SLASH._

I was kidding about the last one, by the way. Please don't kill construction workers.

It can also learn another cutting move, appropriately called Fury Cutter. It's a Bug type move, allowing you to have some sort of retaliation against the ever present threat of Grass types. Alternately, you can teach it the TMs X-Scissor and Ice Beam, both of which can take out Grass types. X-Scissor can also deal with Psychic and Dark type enemies if they are a threat, or Ice Beam can deal with Dragons should you ever find yourself fighting one.

One better move Dewott can learn is Aqua Jet, which is sure to always strike first. This can be great if Dewott is slower than the enemy but only requires one more hit to take it down. And on a final note, Dewott can now learn the HMs Surf, Waterfall and Dive, although it may have to grow used to carrying you around.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **A Dewott will always be suspicious of new comers, and will closely watch them for the first week or so. A Dewott considers itself to be your body guard, and will not treat any potential threat lightly. It will remove a suspicious Pokémon by force if it feels too uncomfortable, but this will probably work in your favour.

Once it starts to trust another Pokémon, it will slowly open up and join in their daily lives. Dewott will not take kindly to anyone that disturbs its training though, and will dish out some punishments as it sees fit. If you go away for a while and come back to see all your Pokémon behaving in a regimented fashion, you have your Dewott to thank. Or blame.

Your Dewott will become angry or upset if it sees you loving another Pokémon more than itself, but given its docile nature it will make no intervention. This can lead to harboured resentment though, so you must take note of who you're spending time with and by how much.

**Warnings: **None. Dewott will protect you from any threat and make a perfect companion. It presents no threat to you, however it you get too close to it during practise it may accidentally hit and injure you. The result of this on Dewott's mind is catastrophic, and it may never forgive itself.

**Summary: **Dewott is a powerful, reliable Pokémon that can make sure that you rest easy and comfortably. It requires a lot to maintenance, but it certainly pays off. The trainer that chose Snivy and the trainer that chose Tepig will both be envious of you now.

**Next Time… Number 009 Samurott!**

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**A/N: Hah! I was really looking forward to writing this chapter! He has the perfect mix of cuteness and handsomeness mixed into one furry bundle! I wonder if Chespin's second form will be as good as Dewott…**

**Fun Facts: Dewott is based on a sea otter and a samurai. Although I think you already knew that.**

**Dewott's Japanese name Futachimaru, is composed of parts of these words: futatsu (two), tachi (long sword) and maru (common ending of a boy's name) If you mix these around you can come up with this title: 'A Boy Wielding Two Swords'. Isn't that cool? **


	11. 009 Samurott

**Number: **# 009

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Formidable

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Daikenki

**Description: **Congratulations. Those days of wasteful lazing around as an Oshawott, and those exhausting weeks as a Dewott have finally paid off. Your little baby Oshawott has now fully evolved into a proud, fearsome Samurott. And fearsome it is indeed; it's not called the Formidable Pokémon for nothing! Upon reaching their final evolution, Samurott become more reserved than their previous form, and they take on the notion of a calm but stoic warrior.

They are proud of their mighty strength, as well as the many techniques that it has learnt over its life. You would have already noticed, but Samurott is now a quadruped; and this means that a few of the techniques learnt as a Dewott have been negated by this new body form. They will want to spend some more time practising and learning more techniques to replace those lost, but they won't be as intently devoted as they were as a Dewott.

Their old scalchops have also been replaced by new ones, these ones are much longer and sharper, and resemble huge heavy blades rather than seashells. These are stored away within sheaths located upon the forelimbs, and Samurott can draw and wield these scalchops in the time it takes for someone to blink.

**Personality: **Samurott were young and humorous as a young Oshawott, and calm and focused as a budding Dewott. But now it has shaken off the shackles of youth and become a venerable warrior, with a noble exterior and a doting interior.

Samurott shares a lot in common with its rivals the Serperior family. Both are calm and noble on the outside, both are excellent at battle and both have a secret soft and gooey spot for their trainer. They both even share the same glare which frightens opponents into submission. It has been rumoured that a certain legendary Pokémon taught this glare to both the Serperior and Samurott families during a human civil war, but there is little evidence to fully confirm this.

Samurott are a species of many rituals and customs which have been passed down for hundreds of generations. Each and every Samurott faithfully follows these, and will even disobey their trainer if you give them a contradictory command; this is the only time that Samurott will refuse to follow an order. Some of these rituals include bowing and acknowledging their opponent in a formal battle, and greeting fellow Samurott by engaging in combat. This occurs because they like to test each other's strength in relation to their own.

It is always willing to show off its battling skills, and it displays them with thinly veiled pride. Since it has become so powerful, most standard Pokémon stand no chance, and therefore Samurott takes few opponents seriously. However, Samurott will always appreciate a challenge, and will accept a fight from anyone notably famous or powerful. (Once again a trait shared with Serperior).

As externally callous as they may appear, each Samurott deeply cares for its trainer, more than anyone else. They will even let down their harsh appearance if they are alone with their trainer, so they can display their concealed affection as much as they want. If their trainer is threatened they will enter a furious rage and savagely beat down the perpetrator without any sort of mercy.

**Lifespan: **This will be the final time I have to repeat myself here. A fully evolved Samurott will die in accordance with its trainer's passing which is quite misfortunate, as in the wild they seem to live for over a hundred years when left undisturbed.

**Diet: **If close to the sea or even a river, Samurott will go out and get its own meals. Because of this, Samurott can be quite a low maintenance Pokémon in this respect. But if they cannot secure their own catch you will need to supply your own food. They will eat almost any food you give them, but they prefer foods of a oriental origin.

Feeding a Samurott a Slowpoke tail for the first time at this age can be a good or bad thing. A Slowpoke tail is considered a very extravagant wedding proposal gift, (a human equivalent being a three carat diamond ring!) and if your Samurott is attracted to you it will happily accept your (probably accidental) marriage proposal. Samurott mate for life, so you need to take this into consideration should you ever find a Slowpoke tail.

**How To Bond: **You have already formed a deep bond with Samurott over the time you have spent together, and only you know how to bond with it. The only warning I can provide is that you do not compromise Samurott's customs and traditions, and do not humiliate it or degrade it in anyway; this can erode away at the close bond that the two of you have formed.

Helping Samurott battle and constantly standing by its side through thick and thin will temper you relationship into steel. A good idea is to challenge the Elite Four, Samurott being the prideful Pokémon that it is will adore you for giving it this challenge.

**Love: **Samurott is a very formal Pokémon, but even the strictest of Pokémon can fall in love, and Samurott is no exception. Unless you have accepted Samurott's love, then it will remain silent on the matter. And even if you have been in a relationship with Samurott for a while now, it will still be reserved and act only on your request. If you really do care for Samurott, you'll insist that it can express itself freely and not worry about your disapproval.

At this stage, Samurott will be expecting some sort of finality, some sort of confirmation about the status of your relationship. The best way of doing this is by gifting Samurott a Slowpoke tail, a most precious of gifts. Samurott will gladly accept this gift, perhaps with a tearful smile. It won't be worried about having a wedding or anything like that, simply this gift will be enough to make it happy forever. Take note that Slowpoke tails are very rare, so you may have to have one imported from Johto.

**Battling: **Samurott are immensely powerful. With one sweep of their scalchops they can fell many opponents, and disorientate many others. Samurott have also perfected the art of drawing the sword (iaido) and can pull out their scalchops in the blink of an eye; and most battles will end before they even begin. Their depressingly slack defences as an Oshawott have improved quite a bit, to the point where they are no longer considered 'Glass Cannons'. And if you maximise its speed (and teach it Aqua Jet!) it can even have to potential to be a Sweeper.

Samurott are unmatched in the water. Because of this, you should always try and direct the flow of a losing battle into any body of water, you'll be amazed to see the battle rapidly turn around in your favour. They also make a great form of nautical transport if you teach them the HM Surf, a well-practised Samurott can sometimes out speed jet boats!

Typing wise, Grass types will forever and always be your bane. Apart from Fury Cutter, X-Scissor and Ice Beam, you have very little in the way of counters, so it's better that you have a fire type such as Darmanitan to switch in. Additionally many Unova Pokémon have Electric as a secondary type, so you need to be wary of that. This is why I fully recommend you take the time to buy the TM Ice Beam; it can take out Grass, Electric and Dragon types, making Samurott a lot more versatile. Samurott can even use it to extend the length of with scalchops with ice!

The best status move that Samurott will ever learn is Swords Dance. Swords Dance will raise Samurott's already immense strength to obscene levels and clear any opponent! Unfortunately, this does not boost the power of Samurott's strongest attack – Hydro Pump. Hydro Pump is very powerful indeed, but is unfortunately inaccurate, and gives the opponent a chance to gain the upper hand (or paw). You also have to be careful when using it in public or domesticated areas, as it can cause extensive damage to buildings and other infrastructure.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Samurott is extremely protective of you, and it will treat every newcomer with suspicion until they have proven themselves to be dependable and reliable. They will personally confront every freshly caught Pokémon and investigate their personality and motives. It will expel any bad eggs without kindness; when this happens you must not question Samurott as it is simply doing its best to protect you, and quite frankly it knows better than you.

Once another Pokémon has become an initiate Samurott will begin to trust them, and even take them under its guidance if they prove capable or contain certain levels of power. Pokémon training Pokémon! Doesn't that make things much easier? Most Pokémon will look up to Samurott with some form of awed respect and submission, as they can sense its power. Pokémon who are stronger than Samurott will take note of its power and behave somewhat…. Hopefully.

**Warnings: **None. No threat will ever make it to you, excluding legendary Pokémon.

**Summary: **Samurott is a powerful and noble Pokémon that makes a perfect companion for the rest of your life. You should now take the time to sit back and relax the many months you spent raising it from the inexperienced Oshawott to the mighty creature it is now. Samurott is very strong and very dependable, so everything's all right now!

**Next Time… Number 010 Patrat!**

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**A/N: And that's the end of the starters. I felt they were getting a bit repetitive since the starters are so relevant. As much as I like the Samurott family, I'm glad to move onto some more variable types of Pokémon.**

**Fun Facts: Samurott are based on a sea lion (derp) and a Samurai or even perhaps a Shogun (A war General). Samurott is the only evolved Water starter that walks on four legs.**

**Samurott's Japanese name Daikenki, literally means 'Sword-wielding Demon' or 'Sword Master'. 'Dai' means big, or large, as it is the largest of its evolutionary forms.**


	12. Celebrity Spotlight - Cute Butler Cilan

Hello! Professor Fuhri here! I've decided to include special entries focused on celebrities from around Unova! These chapters will occur every tenth chapter. Hah, I bet that foolish Professor Juniper doesn't watch The National Gymquirer like me, hah! My publisher has been scolding me for including these, as he calls them drabbles and say they aren't welcome within such a guide, but to the Distortion World with him, I say!

**Name: **Cilan

**Japanese Name: **Dento

**Typing Specialty: **Grass

**Gender: **Male

**Description: **Cilan is one of the three Striaton Triplets, and alongside his brothers used to be a Gym Leader until a few years back. He still co-owns a restaurant in Striaton with his brothers, and they still accept any challengers that approach. They hand out the Trio badge to any people who have exceptional battling skills, but unfortunately with their resignation it is no longer considered by the Pokémon Federation.

He is a Connoisseur of many different interests, the most notable being fine cuisine, Pokémon and trains. He loves to battle more than anything, and will show off the talents that long ago made him a feared Gym Leader. Anyone who beats him often gets treated to a delicious meal prepared by him as thanks for such interesting battles. I've never graced a table of his, but I hear that they are very yummy indeed!

He was one of the only Gym Leaders to not participate at the battle with the Seven Sages at the Team Plasma castle several years ago. But this isn't because he was a coward! He wasn't informed in time to go assist, and missed out on some epic battles.

His sexuality often comes under fire, and this is egged on by his brothers, much to his embarrassment. While he has given no official statement, he has admitted to having a boyfriend in the past. Although it's not like his elegant mannerisms and exotic lifestyle indicated anything fruity…

**Personality: **He is cheerful and fresh, and lets nothing get him down. He has an interesting combination of kindness, eloquence and passion that only confounds his sexuality problem. He treats everyone with respect and many people come to like him because of that. He is very polite and civil as well, so apparently having him as your waiter is apparently a good treat!

Even so, he does not tolerate cruelty or abuse to Pokémon in the slightest, and while he always uphold to graceful demeanour, he will let people who treat Pokémon poorly experience his wrath, as he puts it: "A bitter explosive meal composed of the sourest ingredients, designed for those with the most poorest of tastes for Pokémon!"

Overall he's a really nice fellow, with a big heart for Pokémon and food.

**Battling: **Even with his tile of Gym Leader taken from him, he still loves to battle. You can challenge him or either of his brothers on any day, except weekends and holidays. The Striaton Triplets always choose their opponents based on your Pokémon's typing, so you will always have a disadvantage. This is a great way of learning how to counter your Pokémon's typing weaknesses. You will only battle Cilan if you chose Samurott as your starter, or if your best Pokémon is a Water type. You can also fight him in the Unova Leaders Tournament, if you have the qualifications to enter.

Cilan always leads with his Simisage. Simisage is quick and hits hard, so you may have to cut your losses and wait for the correct moment to strike. You must always beware of its Energy Ball, which can inflict severe damage to any Water Type.

His next Pokémon is Maractus, a bland Pokémon with no real threats. Its special attack is abnormally high, but it shouldn't be a problem. It always starts off a battle with Cotton Guard, so you need to ensure that you strike first, otherwise the battles will be a very drawn-out, irritating one.

Cilan's last Pokémon is Ferrothorn, a real beast. It only has two weaknesses, and high defences, which results in a very bulky opponent. Be wary of its Leech Seed, especially if it's boosted by Curse.

**With Pokémon: **Cilan loves Pokémon, and as such he takes very good care of them. He uses his cooking skills to serve them the most high quality foods and pamper them as much as possible. But he doesn't baby them around, no, no. He always sets aside time for them to battle and train, and enhance their skills to the maximum.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Cheren!**

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**A/N: I added this on a whim. I felt that it would be a good idea to have something alternate every now and then, so this fit the bill.**

**Fun Facts: He is the only male Gym Leader to specialise in Grass types. The Striaton Triplets Japanese name is the 'Trial Triangle' (weird, huh…)**


	13. 010 Patrat

**Number: **# 010

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Scout

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Minezumi

**Description: **Sometimes people who venture into the wild at night come back to town screaming in terror, claiming they saw glowing eyes watching them from the darkness. The perpetrator of this is Patrat, the Scout Pokémon.

Patrat are extremely common, and almost every beginning trainer catches one simply because they are battled so frequently, plus they aren't very strong at first and therefore make an easy first catch. They are also very low maintenance and have a few extra uses. It's almost customary to catch one; as many people enjoy comparing them to see who has got the best. I hear Rattata are treated the same in Johto.

In a recent television interview The Striaton Triplets Cilan, Cress and Chilli all remarked that they have seen hundreds of Patrat pass by when they were trainers, and they are actually relieved that they don't see them as commonly due to surrendering their position as Gym Leaders. Amusingly, the new Gym Leader in Aspertia City has remarked that he has already seen many Patrat in the first few months of his position as Gym Leader.

Because Patrat are noticeably weak, they are often released or traded away when a trainer has caught their seventh Pokémon.

**Personality: **Patrat are rather different from all the other young types of Pokémon. Most youthful Pokémon are very… well… _youthful. _Patrat on the other hand are quite serious.

Patrat live in small groups of around 20 – 30 members, all of which work together to survive. They have quite a few predators which are often far stronger than any normal Patrat, and as a result they are an extremely paranoid species. They spend a great deal of time hiding or preparing countermeasures to attack.

Patrat colonies elect Scouts to constantly scan the area for predators, thus giving themselves their species name. Every single one of them has built-in paranoia and a need to maintain security, so they are always on the lookout for enemies. They often sit on their trainers shoulders or head so they can get a good view of the surrounding area, but if they are frightened of something they may dive into your clothing. If you've ever seen a trainer wrestling a lump in their shirt, you now know why.

When they have been caught by a trainer and become part of their new 'colony' (you and your Pokémon) they will no longer have any reason to be afraid, and will calm down and start behaving like a normal Pokémon. At this time they may begin to display their own personality and characteristics, something that most wild Patrat don't experience. In the harsh wild world, there is little chance to display individuality without it costing you greatly.

They are aware of this, and this is the reason why so many of them appear when you first start your journey. They all want you to hold them and make them feel secure, so they attack you hoping that you'll catch them and give them a safe home, isn't that a little sad?

Patrat become very close and attached to their saviour, their trainer. Unfortunately Patrat are a weak specimen of Pokémon, and most people only temporarily catch one to give themselves six Pokémon for the time being. When they have caught their seventh Pokémon and need to replace one; that one nearly always turns out to be poor Patrat. Since they have become so close to their trainer, they will be extremely distraught and upset at being torn apart from their trainer, especially if they are being released back into the wild.

Few people are aware, but most released Patrat die shortly after being released since they require other allies to support themselves and each other in order to survive. Releasing a Patrat back into the wild is like guaranteeing it death.

**Lifespan: **Unevolved Patrat have short lives, dying of natural causes at about 15 years. It is believed the constantly stressful lifestyle has reduced their life expectancy somewhat.

**Diet: **In the wild Patrat collect and hoard berries and nuts, especially so in the winter. They have huge mouths with which they store great amounts of food for later consumption, or for sharing with allies. Other Patrat have no problem with eating these berries, so naturally Patrat will be happily offer them to you too. But I doubt you'd be interested in eating berries drenched in Patrat saliva, unless you have a slobber fetish or something.

**How To Bond: **The best to way a Patrat's heart is through its paranoia. When you first capture it it will be frightened witless, so some care will be required. You should take it to a confined area for the night, such as your bedroom. Keep it there for the night and treat it kindly, and above all make sure it feels safe. If it doesn't feel safe it isn't going to pay attention until it does, so you'll be setting yourself back. When feeling secure, Patrat will begin to open up, especially out of gratitude for 'saving' it from the wilderness.

All you really have to do is make it feel like it's safe and has a place to belong to, when it has that it will follow you without question. Giving it rare types of berries will also increase its favour in you.

**Love: **Despite being a serious species they are rather affectionate, most especially towards their trainer. This is because you are the hero in shining armour that swept down and rescued them from all of the baddies and their pitiful lifestyle. It's no wonder they frequently fall for their trainers. Patrat isn't the kind of Pokémon that makes an ideal mate though, so I have no idea where you would want to direct that sort of relationship. Are you trying to build a variety Pokémon harem? Is Patrat the littlest member?

Nevertheless, Patrat amusingly have a habit of humping their trainer's leg. At home this might not be too bad, but in public this can really be embarrassing. Even if you yell and shake your leg they cling on stubbornly, so you just have to hope that no once notices as you struggle to tear it away. Check your pant leg for any stains, too.

**Battling: **Patrat are disappointingly weak, and as such have very few talents when it comes to battling. If fact, most of its moves are dedicated to escaping or defending itself rather than inflicting damage. The only offensive moves it can naturally learn are the standard Tackle, Bite and Crunch, all of which do low damage. Because of this, Patrat should be reserved for finishing off already weakened foes. That way Patrat can gain experience in battle without running the risk of getting injured.

It does however learn Sand-Attack, which can give you time to escape should you find yourself outnumbered or overpowered. It can also learn Hypnosis when approaching evolution, another good way of providing escape.

One talent working in its favour is that Patrat are exceptionally good at noticing approaching enemies before anyone else even gets the chance. They also notice small details that most people overlook, and so it is a good idea to keep Patrat out with you when walking in the wild, so you will not have to worry about being ambushed.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Patrat are very suspicious at first, and treat everyone as though they are about to hurt it. But once they warm up to someone they quickly welcome it into their colony, and treat it as a fellow friend. Since Patrat colonies are so tightly knitted in the wild, ones who have been caught reflect this when captured. They share everything they have to offer, and always watch the backs of you and your Pokémon. Lots of species appreciate this positive attitude, but you have to be careful that Patrat isn't being manipulated.

**Warnings: **None. Although if you try and manhandle a newly caught Patrat while it is still stressed, it may bite you out of terror. The bite won't be very deep, but you will need to clean it to prevent infection.

**Summary: **While being easy to catch and train, they are hopelessly weak in battle. You should either keep it for its gimmicky uses (or because you can't bear to let such a cute creature go) or patiently train it up until it evolves into a Watchog, where it becomes much stronger and can learn some very powerful moves indeed. O

**Next Time… Number 011 Watchog!**

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**Fun Facts: Patrat shares the same species name with Sentret. It also shares the 'first weak Normal type' status with it, alongside Rattata, Zigzagoon and… Bidoof. (Shudder)**

**Patrat also has the lowest base stat of all Unova Pokémon. Fuhri wasn't kidding when he said it was weak.**


	14. 011 Watchog

**Number: **# 011

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Lookout - Precaution

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Miruhoggu

**Description: **So you caught a wild Watchog, or your Patrat evolved into one; either way you now have an ordinary Pokémon that has some decent potential and battling possibilities. With its increase in strength, Watchog isn't the paranoid wreck it once was as a Patrat. However, it is still always wary and suspicious of newcomers and anything out of the ordinary.

Watchog uses its amazing adept eyesight to notice enemies approaching from afar, and make precautions so they either escape or prepare an ambush within time. Their developed eyesight also lets them see within darkness, so long as it is not pitch-black. So long as their eye can take in the slightest bit of light they can see almost as well as day. If they are unable to manage even that, they can trigger a bioluminescent reaction within the mysterious yellow bands upon their body. They also use these glowing bands to warn potential enemies, the brighter they glow the stronger they are. Some of our field agents have brought back reports that Watchog are even able to use these bands as a form of communication, which could resemble Morse code somewhat. Perhaps these flashing yellow lights are what inspired the supposed alien sightings on Route 1?

When a Patrat finally evolves into a Watchog, it leaves its colony of Patrat and goes off on its own. They usually remain solitary, but often form small gangs of 3 – 4 if an opportunity arises. Many trainers are intimidated by these groups, and it's very understandable. I don't think anyone would appreciate having glowing yellow eyes and angry, glaring faces watching them from the bushes every time they go for a forest stroll.

**Personality: **Watchog is no longer the pathetic push-over it once was; and it is well aware of this. They are often arrogant and gutsy, in retaliation against all the things that once proved a threat. They feel like they need to ensure their dominance by fighting many of the wild Pokémon and trainers they encounter, to reassure themselves that they have indeed become stronger.

If evolved from a caught Patrat, they will be far more docile than their wild brethren. They will still be more confident and keen to battles, but they won't be as savage. In addition, they will be extremely grateful to the trainer who helped them evolve out of their weak un-evolved form; the result being a very devoted Pokémon that will risk everything for their trainer.

Alternately, a wild Watchog that has been caught will be very unhappy at first, because it will feel like its freedom and strength have been stolen away. Your first goal is to ensure that it realises the truth, and comes to trust you. After that it will begin to brighten up.

**Lifespan: **Watchog live twice as long as Patrat, reaching about 60 years before expiring. A Watchog that has been taken care of very well since being a Patrat may live for another ten years.

**Diet: **Berries and nuts form a staple diet, and they are content to eat these for its entire life. If you thought your Patrat had a big mouth back then, you'll be confounded to see just how huge a Watchog's jaws are. They can store multitudes of nuts and berries and last for days, slowly swallowing them one by one. This allows them to keep watch for long periods of time without having to move to get food. So long as you remain within the wild Watchog will be able to manage itself, but if you return to a civilised area where fruits are not readily available then Watching will start relying on you.

**How To Bond: **If your Watchog has evolved from a caught Patrat, then I don't need to tell you how to bond with your own Pokémon. Each Pokémon is different and by now you should know how to act appropriately for it. They are a simple species with simple emotions, and can be read easily.

On the other hand, a newly caught Watchog can be quite a troublesome case. They will be unwilling to listen to what you have to say, and will most likely ignore your commands in battle. When first battling with your Watchog, you should have another Pokémon in reserve in the likely case that this occurs. They will act like the boss, refrain from group activities and generally keep to their own, which is more bothersome behaviour.

The quickest and most efficient way to counter this is to convince your Watchog that it can become stronger by cooperating and working as a team member. Let it sit on the side-line of a few battles and allow it to observe how you command battle, make sure to score some super effective hits and make it evident that you thoroughly support your Pokémon.

**Love: **It won't hump your leg anymore, thank god. But it will want to always stand by your side as a form of protection, and also because it wants to stay close to you. Watchog might not fill the role of lover as well as some other species such as starters, but if you have really taken a liking to Watchog then things can't really go wrong.

**Battling: **Watchog's strongest point is its powerful vision, which allows it to detect many moves at the very moment the enemy begins to execute them. This means that Watchog is highly evasive, making it a very irritating opponent. If you _really_ want to rub salt into your foes wounds, teach Watchog the TM Double Team. They may even forfeit out of sheer frustration at being unable to hit Watchog.

Statistically, Watchog is very balanced. It doesn't expertise in anything in particular, and doesn't have any glaring weaknesses either. Because of that, it doesn't really fit into any sort of battling style and stands on even ground.

Typing wise, you don't have to watch out for anything besides Fighting types. However, fighting type moves are very common and can be used by a plethora of Pokémon, so you should check which moves you foe can learn before battling it.

Upon evolution, Watchog immediately learns Confuse Ray, a fantastic move that functions well with Watchog's already high evasion; it can also be used to escape difficult battles or sticky situations. Confuse ray works especially well on the weak minds of Fighting types, which normally focus on defending their body, not their mind.

Another great move is Super Fang, which halves the opponent's health. Yes, that's right; that unconquerable Garchomp that seems to be impenetrable to anything can have its health halved immediately, what a scary move.

If capturing another Pokémon, your Watchog can make use of the move Mean Look, a frightening glare that prevents your foe from fleeing, escaping or switching out. With this, capturing Pokémon who are normally quite difficult to catch can become a breeze.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Watchog are extremely distrustful, and will not trust any other Pokémon quickly. They will keep to themselves and stay away from the group,and will scare of any Pokémon that approach, regardless of their intentions. Due to this your other Pokémon will quickly come to dislike Watchog, only worsening the problem. Trust is an important factor in winning battles, so this problem needs to be ironed out.

You need to convince Watchog that you are a competent trainer before it will listen to you, so you need to go ahead and to that first; re-read the battling section if you need to. After that, concentrate on involving Watchog in group activities; think about giving double and triple battles a try.

**Warnings: **Watchog may be grumpy, but it won't hurt you for any reason. If you don't abuse it, it won't abuse you.

**Summary: **Wild Watchog are troublesome to train, but are reliable and useful battlers. Domesticated Watchog are already well trained in comparison, so it is advised that you catch a Patrat and train it up, rather than waste time bothering with a stubborn, wild one.

**Next Time… Number 012 Lillipup!**

* * *

**Fun Facts: Watchog is based upon a meerkat or a groundhog. It may also be based on a construction worker (lol). Watchog is also the only fully evolved Pokémon to give a single EV yield. **


	15. 012 Lillipup

**Number: **# 012

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Puppy

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Yorterrie

**Description:** The cute and playful Puppy Pokémon Lillipup is another very common Pokémon. You'll see these little critters everywhere you go when you start off on your journey, and many of the beginning trainers you meet will have one too. Even if you don't like them, it is suggested that you go catch one as they become very powerful competitors once they evolve.

Lillipup's huge, fluffy face is not just for cuteness; it also acts as highly honed radar which can sense things that few others can. It is composed of many, many fine hairs that are long and thin, which have special roots that are connected directly to the nervous system. Using these receptive hairs, Lillipup can sense minute changes and altercations within the surrounding area and react appropriately, giving it an edge in battle.

Its sense of smell is also unmatched, and it can pick up on scents from over long distances and hunt them down; this is one of the main ways Lillipup hunts for food.

Lillipup live in families of 10 – 20 specimens, led by 'head' Herdier and a single Stoutland. Even though they work together to survive, Lillipup have a habit of wandering off to investigate interesting senses or smells; this is usually how you encounter lone Lillipup that you battle. Lillipup families usually live in grassy plains, meadows and sometimes live within light forestry if required. These open areas give Lillipup the space to explore and play, yet remain within sight of Stoutland and the Herdier.

**Personality: **Lillipup are extremely playful and light-hearted, and love to have fun and take part in games. They can often be quite naïve, and have a habit of wandering off and getting into mischief, usually with wild Pokémon. This is why you should closely watch Lillipup whenever you let it out of its pokeball. They are very loyal to their trainer and are highly protective of them, although not so much as Growlithe are. Their eagerness makes them willing to fight at every opportunity they get, and they always leap out of their Pokéballs yapping away furiously to challenge an opponent. They are quite immature, and will even disregard battle and play with either you or a foe if they are in a silly mood.

Lillipup can use their facial radar to gauge just how strong their opponent is before battle, and they act appropriately according to conditions. They will bravely fight enemies much stronger than themselves, but should they find themselves in unfavourable conditions they will run away, abandoning you if forced to. This is disastrous if Lillipup is your only Pokémon, because now you are left alone with a very powerful hostile Pokémon. This is why it is suggested that you do not choose Lillipup are your first Pokémon.

**Lifespan: **An unevolved Lillipup will only live for about 20 years.

**Diet: **Lillipup are omnivorous, and require both types of food. They will eat nuts, berries, Pokémon pallets and human food on one side, but they will also require fresh meat gained from hunting other Pokémon. Their main carnivorous diet consists of Patrat and Pidove; both are common, easy to defeat, and have no side-effects upon consumption. Lillipup _must_ eat meat, as their developing body requires the nutrients to support themselves. A Lillipup that does not eat meat will become sickly, have trouble evolving, and suffer in battle. If you are squeamish, you should let Lillipup eat its kill elsewhere; refusing to feed Lillipup meat simply because you disagree with it or you are a vegetarian is incredibly selfish and a sign of a poor trainer.

**How To Bond: **They are simple and easy to train and bond with, another reason why they make great additions to any newly formed team. Their frisky personality means that lots of games and playtime is required, otherwise they will grow restless and start to misbehave. Just set aside one or two hours each day to keep them satisfied and remind them that they need to behave for you! Buying chew toys is another great idea, as it will keep them diverted and help develop their teeth. This can pay off in battle if you Lillipup frequently uses Bite.

Give them the chance to have some easy battles so help them build up enough experience to evolve, but you mustn't send them out against overly difficult opponents, otherwise your Lillipup will grow distrustful of you and be unwilling to assist you in battle.

**Love: **Lillipup is still too young to understand the concept of romantic love. It can easily love you as a trainer or friend, but anything further than that will be confusing for Lillipup. If you really want a relationship that much, focus on befriending Lillipup for now and then romance it once it evolves.

**Battling: **Because of Lillipup's sensitive radar and its potent sense of smell, Lillipup rapidly sums up its opponent, and can deduce information such as an enemy's strength and weak points. It also raises their evasion highly, since they can predetermine enemies' attacks before anyone else can.

Lillipup starts off with the boring set of Tackle, Bite and Take Down, all of which have nothing really special about them. The only noticeable move it has in its movepool is Odour Sleuth. This move allows Normal type moves to hit Ghost types, although this is somewhat negated by the fact that Lillipup possesses Bite, a Dark type move. Its other use is that it allows Lillipup to hit an evasive foe. This combined with Lillipup's already overpowered senses makes only the most evasive foes capable of dodging an attack.

**With Fellow Pokémon:** Lillipup are always friendly, and will quickly befriend any other young Pokémon. They may annoy or even enrage older, serious Pokémon with their banter, so you will have to teach it to behave around certain Pokémon. Having a Lillipup on the same team as a Pidove or Patrat can be disastrous, as they will quickly pass it off as another meal.

**Warnings: **Beware of sending Lillipup out against notably powerful enemies. Lillipup will flee at the very moment it begins to lose a battle.

**Summary: **They are slightly troublesome to manage initially, but later when they evolve they turn into powerful and reliable Pokémon. Its better that you simply bite your lip for the time being, and patiently train it up until it evolves into a Herdier.

**Next Time… Number 013 Herdier!**

**Fun Facts: Lillipup is based on a Yorkshire terrier. I'm guessing you already knew that. It also shares the same species name as Growlithe, although I think Growlithe still kicks a whole lot more ass.**


	16. 013 Herdier

**Number: **# 013

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Loyal Dog

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Herderrie

**Description: **Herdier are known as the Loyal Dog Pokémon, and they stick true to their species name. One that has evolved from a captured Lillipup is fully devoted to their trainer, to the point where they will lay down their life in order to protect them. Unfortunately they have lost their facial radar in preference for something else. As a trade, they now have special type of fur that behaves somewhat like battle armour.

The thick, shaggy navy blue pelt that you would have seen is composed of many, many thick, wiry hairs that have intertwined and matted together to form a dense fleece; which is strong enough to reduce the shock and impact of many attacks. Many Pokémon do not realise this, and proceed to attack to be thoroughly beaten in return. These mystic hairs have been examined, and have been found to contain something tougher than keratin, although an exact biological report has yet to be completed. The fur doesn't feel pleasant to touch anymore though…

Herdier have worked alongside humans for hundreds, even thousands of years. They've served under a variety of people, and served a variety of roles. In a civil war long ago they acted as a captain's aide, standing by his side as they rushed into battle. Their most prominent role however, is helping people raise other Pokémon. They make great caretakers or substitute parents, and can raise Pokémon into being respectable creatures.

Because of this many people or institutes own some, examples including Pokémon farms, ranches, day-care centers and starter Pokémon breeding centers. They are a very useful and skilful species and as such have become one of humanities closest companions. One most prominent example would be the Floccesy Ranch, where the owners have multiple Herdier working for them.

**Personality: **It has now left it's personality as a Lillipup far behind, and taken on a much wiser, competent temperament. It no longer wishes to play games and explore interesting things, it simply wants to please its master; and yes, it considers you it to be that master. No matter what you say, no matter how many times you insist that you are on equal footing, it will still consider you its master.

Herdier will want to follow you everywhere and make itself as useful to you as it possibly can. It won't like being separated from you for extended periods of time, and will become stressed if it is. It will get angry if someone insults you, and will scare off anyone it deems apprehensive.

They are only interested in battling if their master is interested in battling. This means they are very diverse in relation to other Pokémon, because most Pokémon either do or don't like battling and protest if they are forced to partake (or not partake) in combat.

**Lifespan: **A Herdier can easily live up to 80 years of age. However, they are unwilling to continue living should their master die. This can be averted by having a 'second' master prepared should the first one (you) die. This is another trait that Herdier has in common with the starter species; which has lead quite a few to speculate that the Lillipup family was planned to be a starter species, but was abandoned due to Lillipup's habit of fleeing from grim battles.

**Diet: **They are still omnivorous; however they no longer require as much meat as they needed when they were a Lillipup. Berries, pellets and human food coupled with the occasional prey such as Patrat or Tranquill will suffice. Depending on how you raised it as a Lillipup, it may feel remorse for consuming other Pokémon, but it needs to be reminded that this is just a part of nature.

**How To Bond: **You don't actually need to bond anymore. Herdier will faithfully follow you and it loves you unconditionally, and thus has bonded with you more than most Pokémon could wish for. If you want to continue displaying affection anyway, spending quiet quality time together is just fine. I've heard that they make good lap dogs, despite their size.

**Love: **Herdier's extremely loyal disposition ensures that this species is another one that becomes love-struck for their trainers easily. It's a sensible Pokémon and it won't make any moves on its own, but once you admit your feelings Herdier will be very happy indeed. It might even start acting like a perky little puppy again! But overall you can depend on Herdier if you want a reliable partner. It won't ask for much unless other demanding species.

**Battling: **Herdier suffers from a very shallow movepool; the only offensive move it naturally learns in this form is Crunch, a rather uninteresting move overall. It can however learn many different TMs of many varying types. Go and visit the local store and decide what TMs would match whatever style of battling you have in mind for your Herdier.

Work Up is a very useful move however, as it raises both attack and special attack slightly. A Bite or Crunch backed up by a handful of these can topple anything of medium build. Additionally it can learn the move Roar, which can hastily scare off a potential attacker and save yourself the trouble of battling.

Herdier's main battle strategy involves moving in close and allowing the foe to strike Herdier's back, allowing Herdier to easily withstand the weakened attack and get a solid blow on the enemy, catching them off guard. Due to the way they fight, battles involving Herdier are usually short and savage.

**With Fellow Pokémon:** Herdier place the protection of their master above everything else and as such will sniff out and remove any suspicious characters. Although they are content to work alongside other Pokémon, they tend to be one-person Pokémon. An exception of this is if they are assisting in the caring of other Pokémon.

It won't cause any unneeded problems with other Pokémon, and other party members should come to like it just fine. It won't appreciate any other Pokémon developing closer relationships with you in place of itself however, so you must keep an eye on that.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Herdier are a dependable, strong, loving and loyal species of Pokémon that you can count of at any given time. While they are a little lacking in the battle department; they can soon evolve into Stoutland, their final evolved form and a total tank when it comes to fighting! Even if you aren't interested in combat, they will happily remain as a companion for as long as you wish.

**Next Time… Number 014 Stoutland!**

* * *

**Fun Facts: There aren't any. Unless you want me to repeat on how it's an expy of a Yorkshire Terrier…**

**A/N: This entry was a little short and flat, to be honest. I set a goal that no chapter would be shorter than 1,000 words and I barely skimmed through here. Although how well I do depends on how much I like the Pokémon I am writing about in particular, and quite frankly I'm not very interested in the Lillipup line. They're just… bland is all.**

**Oh! And a reminder! I'm always willing to consider people's ideas, so if you have a clever idea regarding a certain species of Pokémon, feel free to mention it via review or PM, and I'll analyse it and decide whether it would fit in with the rest of the guide. Please don't be offended if an idea you suggested isn't accepted however. Thanks! **


	17. 014 Stoutland

**Number: **# 014

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Big-Hearted – Leniency

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Mooland

**Description: **Stoutland, the Big Hearted Pokémon. Its heart isn't the only big thing it has… Hey! Don't take it that way!

In both personality and appearance, Stoutland doesn't differ from its unevolved form. The only things that have changed are its size, wisdom and toughness; although it has become a _lot_ tougher and more capable in battle.

The first thing you would have probably noticed is the massive, shaggy mane covering your new Stoutland. Amazingly, this is even tougher than the make-shift armour it possessed as a Herdier, and as such it can block and resist even more attacks. It also protects Stoutland from the effects of weather, making it useful to counter weather teams such as Rain or Hail sweepers.

It has also meant that Stoutland has secured itself a spot among human workers for many generations, helping them in difficult circumstances. For example, Stoutland have been helping mountain rangers rescue lost hikers on snowy mountains for at least 1500 years now, although sometimes a certain legendary bird beats them to it… They have also assisted in the construction of buildings on Route 4, and the excavation of Relic Castle. Their advanced sense of smell and hearing also augment their capabilities in this field of work.

**Personality: **Stoutland are very wise and clever Pokémon. Through years of battling and training they have learnt many a judicious lesson, and with these they can think ahead and plan appropriately. As is evident from their species name, they are generous, loving and benevolent Pokémon who prioritize the protection and safety of fellow Pokémon and trainers. This makes them great pack leaders, and alternately great leaders of Pokémon teams. Because of this many people keep a Stoutland solely for the purpose of guarding or babysitting younger Pokémon.

They are always very clam and composed, which allows them to analyse situations before making any rash actions. However, if the life of their trainer is placed in peril they will enter a mindless rage and destroy anything in their way until they have guaranteed that their trainer is no longer a threat. When in this berserker mode, their attack and defence are both doubled, making an extremely dangerous foe. This is why you should never strike another trainer; you could incur the wrath of a very upset Pokémon.

**Lifespan: **Stoutland can live up to 150 years of age. Some people have a family Stoutland, which has been passed down from grandparents, or even great grandparents!

**Diet: **They eat almost anything edible you toss their way. Berries no longer provide enough sustenance, so some solid meat is required to support them. Go ahead and let Stoutland go off into the wild to find its own meals, it should bring back and couple of Patrat, Watchog or Tranquill. But for goodness sake don't let it eat it's carrion near your prey Pokémon!

**How To Bond: **For a Stoutland evolved from a Herdier, you should already know how to spend time together efficiently. However, one caught from the wild is a different story…

A newly caught Stoutland will be vary of you initially, especially it if had a family or some other group to protect. First impressions are exceedingly vital, so you must take care to make yourself appear as a nice person at first. If it sees you being mean or cruel to Pokémon, it will think that you are a bad person for a very long time. It may take months for it to see past its first conclusion.

Some Stoutland like to battle, others do not. It's a good idea to figure this out early on, because a passive one will come to dislike you if you force it to battle. They aren't as active as they used to be as a Lillipup or Herdier, but they still need regular exercise to keep themselves fit and able.

**Love: **Stoutland love their trainers very much, more often in multiple ways. If you were interested in being with Stoutland beforehand then you've probably sealed the deal already. Stoutland only cares about you, and you'll be able to tell when it looks at you with soft, loving eyes. They are a big species of Pokémon, but that doesn't stop them from being doting or affectionate. In a world full of dubious Pokémon, Stoutland is a safe option to take.

**Battling: **Stoutland are incredibly tough and resistant to the point where many attacks just bounce off. Long ago, there was a rumour that a Stoutland was able to withstand an attack from the Legendary Pokémon Keldeo, although this is highly unlikely.

Even with its large size Stoutland are able to move around quickly, so foes are often taken by surprise and are unable to launch an effective block or counter attack in time. Stoutland usually fight by leaping in, allowing their opponent to strike them on their thick pelt, before counter attacking with a powerful move such as Retaliate. This is very advantageous against Pokémon with frail bodies, including but not limited to Psychic and Dark Pokémon. Due to this nature of fighting, most battles are quickly decided.

Its movepool still remains disappointingly shallow, but as a contradiction it can learn the elemental fangs Ice Fang, Fire Fang and Thunder Fang, giving it an edge against unwary types of Pokémon. If it learns all three, it can make an effective revenge killer against a range of types. Additionally it can learn several elemental TMs, most of which are Electric type. As useful as they sound, I caution against using them, as Stoutland's Special Attack is ridiculously low. As such, it is suggested that you stick to boring but practical moves like Tackle and Take Down.

If you have raised Stoutland exceptionally well, it may naturally learn Giga Impact, a mighty move that can devastate many foes. It can also learn the HM Strength, something that comes in handy in almost any location.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **If you bothered to read the rest of the article, you should already know that Stoutland excels at holding relations with other Pokémon, especially ones that are young and playful. They make fantastic tutors and guardians, and can even teach or train them simple moves such as tackle. This is unbelievably useful if you are a breeder, because it saves you the trouble of doing it yourself. They are very distrustful of dark type Pokémon, especially those of the Purrloin family since they have had an on-going feud with them for several hundreds of years.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Stoutland are a powerful, reliable, loving and loyal Pokémon that has a huge heart and the ability to blast through dozens of wild Pokémon. They are experts at rescue operations and can lead others to rescue you if something bad were to ever happen. Overall they are a fantastic Pokémon and it is highly recommended that you patiently wait through those tedious Lillipup days until you can be rewarded by this fine beast.

**Next Time… Number 015 Purrloin!**


	18. 015 Purrloin

**Number: **# 015

**Type: **Dark

**Species: **Devious – Ill Natured

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Choroneko

**Description: **Be wary of this Pokémon; it's called the Devious Pokémon for a very valid reason. It's extremely cute appearance is just an illusion and you mustn't be fooled by it, otherwise you could find yourself in very bad circumstances. They are a species of Pokémon that stick straight to the core mannerisms of Dark type Pokémon.

Purrloin allow themselves to be caught purposely; and this is why you encounter so many of the little scamps when you start off on your journey, they can sense when someone is new and inexperienced. Immediately after being caught they put on an adorable display and act affectionately towards their trainer and fellow Pokémon. On the first night, or at any other time you let your guard down, they rummage through your possessions, take what they want, destroy the pokeball you caught them in, and run laughing all the way back into the wilderness to be caught by another trainer at a later date.

Many young trainers are roped in by their guise, especially female ones. Due to this a group called the PAF, or Purrloin Alert Force, has recently formed and gone around schools and towns educating people on the dangers of encountering Purrloin. They are mostly composed of aged trainers who have had their own bad experiences with Purrloin when they were young, and they were kind enough to lend their research files to me for the development of this entry, I would like to thank Maribel Fletcher and Jessica Andas for their assistance.

**Personality: **Purrloin are selfish and cruel Pokémon who think only for themselves and do not take other people into consideration. However, no Pokémon is naturally evil; it is only through learning and experiencing that their morality is formed. Unfortunately for the Purrloin species, their morality is quickly decided by their parents. At birth their parents teach them how to lie, cheat and steal their way to victory, usually at the misfortune of others. When they reach a certain age they are thrown out of the family and forced to fend for themselves.

Since fooling others is how they survive, they spend much of their spare time developing and mastering their skills of deception. They know how to worm their way out of almost any tight spot and make the perfect getaway. Even if they are caught red-handed they use their endearing façade to charm their witness; however if they are unable to escape they will resort to violence.

Even when captured and finally tamed, they are still mischievous creatures. They won't steal or injure, but they will still play pranks and general mischief for their own entertainment. Purrloin look very effeminate physically, and due to this dozens of trainers instantly judge its gender by physical appearance. Male Purrloin are very aware of this, and they use it to their advantage as much as they can. Rule of thumb: don't judge a Pokémon's gender by its physical appearance, that will set you up for misfortune later on.

But you mustn't disregard them as a bad Pokémon. Yes they cause trouble at first, but once they are tamed they make a reliable Pokémon that will watch your back for you.

**Lifespan: **A Purrloin will for 20 years if it never manages to evolve. Not evolving is seen as a huge failure among Purrloin and Liepard.

**Diet: **They are omnivorous, but how much of each type of food they eat varies from each specimen. They love berries, most particularly of the sour type. Eating human food is seen as being posh and fancy, so they feel very good about themselves if they have the opportunity to eat any, especially if another Purrloin sees. They do require meat thought, whether it's a fresh catch or cooked meat. They love the taste of fried Basculin, but will eat a killed Patrat or Pidove if forced to.

**How To Bond: **Purrloin are incredibly difficult to bond with; you need to be extremely wary of them for your first couple of weeks. It is a very silly idea to have Purrloin as your first catch.

If you have a Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Patrat or Lillipup send it out and ask that it keep an eye on Purrloin at all times, and keep Purrloin sealed in its pokeball when you sleep. This way Purrloin won't have any opportunity to pull off its heist.

Keep this up for the first week, and don't cut any slack. A Purrloin knows when the jig is up, and they live by the notion 'can't beat? Join em!' And at this stage it will stop trying to cheat you.

A Purrloin is a very fanciful Pokémon with a huge ego; so as much as you might dislike it, pampering it and making it feel on Cloud Nine is the best way to make it like you. From birth they are taught to hide their true emotions, and when ousted from their family they become solitary creatures that stick to themselves. Because of this they constantly bottle up their feelings and become extremely lonely.

This is why you must convince Purrloin that it belongs with you and that you genuinely care for it. When this realisation dawns upon it, they will throw aside any past objections and wholeheartedly join you. Keep note that you will be the first person to actually care for it since its family threw it out, so it can become very attached and cling to you like glue.

**Love: **Oooh, you're really taking a risk here, mate. When first meeting you, Purrloin isn't afraid to get to your valuables via your groin, so don't let physical attraction get the better of you. If you want to get it on with Purrloin, then you'll have to bond with it enough so you can trust it. Once it actually cares for you, go right ahead. As typical of Dark types, Purrloin is sexual and lustful, and it's going to be very demanding. You should set your limitations as quickly as possible, otherwise Purrloin is going to have its way with you and your body without refrain.

Once you break past that barrier of deceit and selfishness, Purrloin can become sweet and loving. Remember you're the only person to actually love Purrloin, even its own family threw it away. Because of that, it will not think about betraying your love.

**Battling:** Purrloin aren't very strong, offensive or defensive wise. They rely fully on speed and dirty tactics to gain the upper hand and take out their opponent before they can counter.

Bug types have a typing advantage, so you need to be careful when venturing into forests. You shouldn't need to worry if you chose Tepig as your starter though. As a pure Dark type, Purrloin has immunity to Psychic types. This isn't very relevant at first, since Psychic types are relatively uncommon in Unova. However, if does make fighting Woobat colonies a whole lot easier, and will come to use later on when you start fighting mid-tier trainers.

Purrloin has few moves, but it can put them to great use. It starts off with Scratch, Growl, Sand Attack and Fury Swipes. A very common and effective tactic goes as follows:

Purrloin starts off the battle by using Growl, to make the opponent less wary and let their guard down. It then launches a Sand Attack to disorientate the foe and prevent them from accurately landing a counter attack. The Purrloin then overwhelms them with Fury Swipes until they succumb. If this tactic fails, they can resort to their other move, which is Torment.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Purrloin will not trust your other Pokémon for quite a while, and it lie, deceive and con them, and may even try to turn them against you! Just another reason why you need to closely monitor interactions during the initial week.

It may even bully weaker Pokémon to surrendering food or doing its bidding, so you need to encourage your Pokémon to stand up for themselves; it won't try pushing them around if they push back.

When a Purrloin finally starts behaving and has earned your trust, it will begin to open itself up to everyone else. Since it has kept to itself for such a long time, this will be a very pleasant experience for it. It will become protective of its newfound friends and make sure they don't fall into harm; but it will still make itself the first priority.

**Warnings: **I think you are already aware of how troublesome they are. But in the event that you skipped to this segment for some reason I'll repeat it anyway. Purrloin are very mischievous and will certainly try to take advantage of you until you manage to bond with it. You need to keep a very sharp eye on it for at least the first week, and don't fall for its little cutesy act.

**Summary: **Purrloin are difficult and have very few redeeming traits. They are not recommended for beginning trainers or people who are naïve or easily fall for adorable things. When they evolve into a Liepard they become somewhat capable Pokémon, so if you really insist on capturing one, prepare yourself for a rocky road.

**Next Time… Number 106 Liepard!**

**A/N: **

**Fun Facts: Did you know that there is technically no such thing as a Dark type Pokémon in the Japanese versions? Originally they were called Evil type Pokémon, but when translating into English the company though that having an Evil type would be bad, so they changed it to Dark to remove the questionable morality. Even though they are still called the Evil type in the games, the Anime has begun calling the Dark type to match the American counterpart.**

**Purrloin is based on a black cat, which is weird given that it has no black on it whatsoever. **

**Purloin means 'to steal' and its Japanese name, **_**Choroneko**_**, is a fusion of **_**Choromakasu **_**'to pilfer' and **_**neko**_** 'cat'.**


	19. 016 Liepard

**Number: **# 016

**Type: **Dark

**Species: **Cruel - Ruthless

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Lepardas

**Description:** So you now have a Liepard. Depending on how you obtained it that can be a very good thing, or a disastrous thing.

A Liepard that has evolved from an already caught Purrloin should be absolutely no problem at all. It would have already like you as a Purrloin for allowing it to finally express its feelings, and now it will love you for giving it the opportunity to evolve under your care. Wild Purrloin and Liepard are extremely jealous of domesticated Liepard, because they wish they had someone who cares for them as well.

A Liepard that has been caught from the wild are incredibly difficult to control and I must say now that it is not worth the time to try and bond with it. Their morals and personal opinions have become more fixed, and are generally crueller. They will be unwilling to listen to anything you have to say and will try their very best to ruin your team, usually by instilling mistrust, treason and doubt. There have been many reports or Liepard making teams attack each other… or their trainer.

Despite being well known as trouble-makers, many trainers relentlessly pursue them anyway. This is because Liepard have very beautiful fur, and an elegant body. The Liepard are very aware of this, and they use it to make trainers approach them. Liepard are much stronger than Purrloin, and thus they do not need to allow themselves to be caught and deceive in order to get what they want. Instead, they outright _attack_ the trainer and take what they want by force, and they will beat down a trainer should it resist after being beaten in battle. This has earned them their species name.

Due to their rather feminine appearance, many people assume that whatever Liepard they encounter is female. (Judging a Pokémon by its physical appearance is a very foolish thing to do, might I add.) They know this, and they use it to their own advantage, or amusement. The internet trolls commonly use Liepard as their mascot, you know.

**Personality: **Once again, the personality of your Liepard varies immensely depending on its origin.

A domesticated Liepard will be much calmer and less corrupt than their wild counterparts. They won't have any malicious intentions and will obey orders without question. They are still mischievous though, and will toy with you to entertain itself; its intentions are not bad though. They are very grateful to the trainer that helped them evolve which ensures they are very loyal, even if they continue to act ambiguously. Even though it is kind to you and your Pokémon it will still be cruel to wild Pokémon, by being unnecessarily brutal in combat and giving snide and condescending remarks. This is even worse if fighting a wild Purrloin or Liepard, because yours will take pleasure knowing that the opposing Liepard will be jealous of your one's success and happiness.

A newly caught Liepard is incredibly arrogant and condescending, to the point where many trainers release them shortly after in frustration or disgust. Liepard has the same intentions as a Purrloin, i.e. rob you of everything it can possibly take, but it does not beat around the bush like a Purrloin would. It will confront you directly for your authority, and if it senses a weakness it will lunge and not let up. They won't listen to anything you have to say and it will take weeks of arguing, reasoning and proposing before it even considers it. They are one of the most difficult common Pokémon to train.

**Lifespan: **A Liepard can live up to 90 years of age. One that is sickly or depressed at the loss of their trainer may not last as long.

**Diet:** A Liepard requires more meat than it did as a Purrloin. If you've yet to develop a bond of trust among your Pokémon and Liepard, it is strongly recommended that you keep small Pokémon such as Patrat away from it; otherwise it will promptly eat them. They will eat berries and such to survive, but they do need meat, otherwise their body will grow undernourished. Some Liepard that have been domesticated are disgusted by the idea of killing and eating wild Pokémon, and will only eat freshly cooked meat prepared in a human manner.

**How To Bond: **Good grief, here we go!

If your Liepard evolved from a Purrloin, keep on doing whatever you did with it as a Purrloin. Remember that they like being pampered and being reminded that they are loved.

Bonding with a wild Liepard is a challenge for even veteran trainers. Grimsley of the Elite Four has agreed with this statement. It will take many weeks before they warm up to you, and even then you have to be careful not to upset it.

After first catching it, be polite but firm. Tell it directly that you are the trainer and that you call the shots, but if it is willing to behave you will also be its friend. It will most likely dismiss you at first, but that doesn't matter. All that's required is that notion simmers away in Liepard's head for the time being.

Over the course of the first two weeks let it out to battle but closely monitor it. Let it fight to its heart's content, and make sure to have a yummy meal for it to return to. It may be unpleasant, but you should pamper it and buy it lots of lovely gifts. They have a soft spot for jewellery, but keep in mind they can't tell the difference between a real bracelet and a two-dollar plastic one.

When it dawns upon them that they will have a lovely lifestyle with a lovely family by staying with you and behaving, they will slowly but surely begin to consider it. When it finally does concede you must ensure you accept it warmly; otherwise it will become upset and shut itself up again.

**Love: **Many Dark Pokémon are lewd or perverted when it comes to romance, and Liepard are an even more extravagant case than usual. If you had it as a Purrloin it may genuinely love you, but otherwise it will probably be trying to get into your pants. If you aren't interested in Liepard for that reason, then it's ill advised to let it sleep in the same room with you. It'll pounce on your vulnerable form at the first moment it can! Unless you want to explain to your parents or flatmates why there's a smug Liepard in your bed, keep your door locked!

Other than that a properly bonded Liepard will still be very flirty and suggestive, but it will respect the limits you set out. It won't like having too many restrictions though, as you have agreed that you want to have it as your mate, and it will feel cheated if you steal its romantic opportunities away from it. But if you like living on the wild side and having your days filled with perversity, then Liepard is the kinky Pokémon for you!

**Battling: **Liepard can learn a variety of moves, nearly all of them being Dark type. Most of them involve playing nastily or using dirty tactics, so this Pokémon isn't for someone who has a strong sense of justice or fair play. Liepard has thin defences, so it relies on its speed, tactics and strength to sweep its opponents before they can start dishing out damage in return.

Upon evolving, the first move Liepard will learn is Fake Out, a useful move that always strikes first and makes the opponent flinch; giving Liepard time to send out another attack. Later on it learns Night Slash, its first powerful offensive dark type attack. This move has a good chance of dealing critical damage, so it works well directly after Fake Out. Liepard can also learn Nasty Plot, but this is very useless as all of Liepard's attacks are physical ones.

The final attack it can naturally learn is Sucker Punch; which is a version of Fake Out that is twice as strong, but does not make the opponent flinch. In addition, it does not work if the enemy is not preparing to attack. It is up to you whether you want to use the strength of Sucker Punch, or the tactical advantage of Fake Out.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **A tamed Liepard will be fine with others, and may even take on a motherly/fatherly persona. Older Pokémon might be suspicious of it however, so you need to focus on building trust between them.

A freshly caught Liepard can incur disastrous effects of a team if left unchecked, as it will try to turn everyone against each other and cause pandemonium. Furthermore, many Pokémon will not trust Liepard to the point where they are hostile. It is suggested that you keep everyone separated until they slowly learn how to interact civilly. Refer to the Bonding section for more information.

**Warnings: **Liepard are dangerous, chaotic, lewd and troublesome. They won't kill you, but they certainly won't hesitate to injure you should they feel it is necessary. Furthermore they can ruin your entire team of Pokémon if given the chance to plant seeds of rebellion. Keep a watchful eye on this Pokémon, readers.

**Summary: **Overall, they can be a wonderful if not mischievous Pokémon if evolved from a tamed Purrloin. However a caught Liepard are extremely difficult to deal with and trying to train one is considered a waste of time. If you really want one that badly, go back and capture a Purrloin to evolve, and make sure to set it straight when it's in that impressionable state.

**Next Time… Number 017 Pansage!**

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**A/N: Uh, I didn't take it too far with the lewd thing, did I? It just seems like the kind of Pokémon that would be interested in kinky stuff, or maybe it's just my mind. **

**On an unrelated note, do you read each chapter? Or do you skip to whatever Pokémon that you like in particular? **

**Fun Facts: Liepard is based on a leopard. (No way!) Its name is a combination of 'Lie' and Leopard. (I would have never guessed!)**


	20. 017 Pansage

**Number: **# 017

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Grass Monkey

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Yanappu

**Description: **Pansage is a curious species of Pokémon that is friendly and kind. Even though they hide away from human settlements, they are seen frequently and as a result are often captured. It is believed that this occurs due to their inquisitive nature, which compels them to investigate things that catch their attention. And in reality, even the most distant, unsociable wild Pokémon develop interest in something human related.

Biologically, Pansage are an interesting fusion of Plant and Pokémon that reaps the benefits of both. The majority of Pansage's body is composed of animal cells; the only parts which consist of vegetation are its tail, and the strange bush protruding from the top of its head. If the tail if chopped off it can grow back in a matter of days; which is useful because they use it to manoeuvre treetops and as a weapon in combat.

The bush upon its head consists of a special type of leaf, with medicinal properties. They help relieve tension, deal with stress and allow wounds to heal at a quicker pace. Pansage are known as the medics of the forest, because they always rush to aid Pokémon that are sick, injured or wearisome. This isn't reserved to wild Pokémon or even Pokémon at all! If they see an injured domestic Pokémon, or even a human, they will leap down from the treetops to give their aid. This is an explanation as to why so many are caught.

Because of the lovely properties of these leaves, many people have started producing tea drinks to sell. It originated at White Forest, but recently the Striaton Triplets have made it a stable part of their restaurant menu.

**Personality: **Pansage are a kind and generous specimen of Pokémon that prioritize the safety of others before their own. They are a docile type of Pokémon that are generally disinterested in fighting; and many trainers have reported Pansage coming to the rescue of wild Pokémon they are about to capture.

They love to spend their time jumping and playing around with other Pokémon, and spend most of their time peacefully. They usually live in groups containing other Pansage, Pansear and Panpour and work together to survive. Pansage are the meekest of the three monkey species, and avoid fighting unless it is required to defend their home or companions. They often resolve conflicts by negotiating or offering peace tributes. If wronged, they are quick to forgive and overlook past misdeeds; they aren't stupid however, and while realise it when they are being duped.

As peaceful as they are, they are still a very active and playful species of Pokémon, and devote most of their space time to simply messing about with their friends of the forest. Because they are so diplomatic, they make a lot of friends with all of the neighbouring species, and as such this can make attempting to catch a Pansage dangerous.

**Lifespan: **Pansage live to be around 30 – 40 years of age.

**Diet: **The bush upon their head allows them to photosynthesise, and this is how they gain the majority of their sustenance. Alternately, they will eat berries or nuts of any kind. They are completely herbivorous, and are horrified of the idea of eating another Pokémon.

**How To Bond: **Pansage are simply, easy-going creatures and do not require as much care as most Pokémon. They do however require lots of daily activity, otherwise they will become stressed and claustrophobic, a minimum would be about 8 hours a day of being out of their pokeballs. They are sociable, so you should let them spend lots of time with other Pokémon, most specifically younger more frisky ones. If you have no other Pokémon besides Pansage, you will have to play with Pansage instead.

You need to also reassure Pansage that you care for it and that is has a welcome family; because you most likely unwillingly kidnapped it from its family when you caught it. This means that you'll have to devote time to convince Pansage to let go of its old family and join yours, otherwise it won't be willing to behave and will most likely run away; remaining distrustful of humans for the rest of its life.

**Battling: **Just because Pansage are docile, you shouldn't immediately dismiss them as incompetent battlers. If fact, it is quite the contrary. Many Pansage have a hidden reserve of power that is rarely seen in wild Pansage, and is only released from trained ones.

Pansage are quiet quick and dextrous, and use this to outmanoeuvre foes. They excel at battles within confined spaces, such as forests and buildings because they can easily leap around and use the environment to their advantage. Hidden within their tail is a small collection of retractable thorns; allowing them to use their tail like a mace and slash them up upon and flick of their tail.

Young Pansage start off with weak moves such as Scratch, Leer and Lick, which can make many of your first battles a nuisance. It shortly learns Vine Whip however; it's first elemental and useful attack. This can come in handy outside of battle too, mind you. One fantastic move it can learn early on is Leech Seed, which drains the opponent's enemy and bestows it effect is continuous, and can quickly turn an unfavourable battle into a favourable one.

Seed bomb is a purely physical attack move that can deal a decent amount of damage. A good tactic is to force the enemy off balance by using Vine Whip, and then finishing it off and weakening it with Seed Bomb.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Pansage are excellent with other Pokémon, young and old. Many of your younger Pokémon will quickly grow to like Pansage's playful and humorous antics and join in on the fun. Since they are very clever, Pansage can tell when a Pokémon has a serious or grumpy nature and will act appropriately in response, usually by being courteous and polite. They also act as a medic, healing or tending to your Pokémon when they need it; given the nature of Pokémon, many will come to appreciate this. If your other Pokémon get into an argument or fight, Pansage will be the first to leap in-between and organise a truce, or dissolve to conflict altogether.

**Warnings: **None. Pansage are a docile type of Pokémon.

**Summary: **Overall, what Pansage lacks in battling potential it makes up for in personality and kindness. Since they heal your Pokémon for you, and resolve conflicts, they make a great asset on a team. Additionally, they require little care and can handle themselves in most situations, making them an easy and helpful Pokémon for beginning trainers. If you have a spare spot on your team, consider adding this little guy to fill it up for you.

**Next Time… Number 018 Simisage!**

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**A/N: Good grief, I can't believe I made it through the number threshold. You see, I promised that each chapter would be at least 1000 words (excluding Celebrity Spotlights) so I sometimes have to think hard about what extra information I can say; especially about boring featureless Pokémon. **

**On a side-note, Pansage and Simisage are the only members of the Elemental Monkeys group that I don't dislike. In fact, they're kinda cute in comparison to those atrocities Simisear and Simipour… **

**Fun Facts: All three of the elemental monkey families are based on the Three Wise Monkeys motif; Pansage represents 'speak no evil'.**


	21. 018 Simisage

**Number: **# 018

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Thorn Monkey

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Yanakkie

**Description:** Simisage takes a massive change in personality upon evolution, turning from a sweet and generous monkey into a bad tempered ruffian. Their new found strength gets to their head and they become arrogant; and shortly after evolving will start disobeying whatever authorative figure they obeyed as a Pansage. This is why you never see Simisage anywhere near Pansage colonies, because the Pansage use their combined strength to oust this newly developed troublemaker, and in a rage Simisage saunters off into the forest to live on its own.

The once medicinal leaves upon its head are now very bitter and serve no helpful purpose at all, besides providing Simisage with nourishment via photosynthesis. Its tail has become twice as thick, and it now contains very sharp thorns which it uses to injure opponents. If you teach Simisage the TM Toxic, these thorns can produce a potent toxin.

**Personality: **The cute Pansage you once knew is now gone, replaced by this unkind Pokémon. It keeps to itself and is totally uninterested in whatever you have to say, or offer. It's so aggressive that it will randomly attack wild Pokémon and cause many unwanted or desirable encounters, so this Pokémon needs to be kept on a tight rein during your initial weeks. As arrogant as it is, it won't forget how you treated it as a Pansage. If you were cruel to it, you are going to have your hands full with a resentful Pokémon. But if you were a nice and thoughtful trainer, its attitude will be considerably more tame, and it may even bother to listen to you.

They have an explosive temper, and even a seemingly passive one can suddenly burst into mindless rage at even the tiniest of inconveniences. However, these outbreaks aren't as bad as Simisear, who are truly fearsome when maddened. Simisage hates losing battles, and this can set off its temper. If you continuously lose battles, Simisage will come to resent you and will most likely abandon you.

Simisage aren't angry at heart, they are just naturally emotional and many things can easily trigger an emotional response; most of these are angry ones. They can just as easily become sad or depressed too, so you need to watch how you treat your Simisage and how it responds.

**Lifespan: **Simisage live to be around 50 – 70 years of age; although one that is poorly treated or is overly stressed will have its lifespan reduced due to exhaustion of the heart.

**Diet:** Its headbush is much larger than its pre-evolution, and as such it can gain a larger proportion of sustenance from photosynthesis alone. However it still likes to eat normal foods, and will often steal berries from weaker Pokémon.

**How To Bond: **Prepare yourself for a long and difficult journey. You'll need the patience of a Wobbuffet and the endurance of one too in order to make this Pokémon behave for you.

For your first week, let Simisage keep to itself. Let spend as much time as it can out of its pokeball, and let it gather its own food too; this way Simisage won't feel imprisoned or overwhelmed by all your other Pokémon. Simisage will eventually become curious and start investigating your daily routine. This is a vital moment, because if Simisage is angered at this point you will have to start all over again.

Offer it food, most particularly berries of the bitter kind. Even if it turns you down, smile and say that it's fine. Slowly introduce your other Pokémon one by one, and warn them beforehand not to be overly friendly or rude. Try introducing a diplomatic Pokémon such as Snivy or Herdier first, so they can set the foundations for a series of peaceful relationships. As Simisage becomes more interested try involving it in jobs and activities, so it feels welcome and included. Keep it occupied and make sure to continuously encourage it at whatever it does, even if it fails horribly. Simisage does not take kindly to criticism, no matter how good the intentions.

Over time, Simisage should eventually morph into your team and start cooperating in a good manner. One you've bonded with Simisage, it will start behaving, but you mustn't forget about its temper. No amount of bonding will suppress that.

**Battling: **After evolving, Simisage can no longer learn any move naturally. Because of this it is important that you let it learn as many moves as it possibly can as a Pansage. Since they evolve by being exposed to a Leaf Stone, you can take as much time as you want. However, it can learn a large variety of moves via TM, so you can plan a lot of different strategies.

Solar Beam is a powerful move enhanced by STAB, and can fend off any Water types in your way. Sunny Day can be used to increase Simisage's Grass type attacks, and allows Simisage to gain more energy through Photosynthesis. Focus Blast is another good move, and can be used to counter any Ice Types you encounter. The move most strongly suggested is Rock Slide, which can counter four out of five of Simisage's weaknesses.

Simisage's strategy remains largely unchanged from as a Pansage. It relies on its high speed and attack to outwit enemies and strike them down before they can land any hits in return. Because of this, you should focus most of your training on improving Simisage's speed, because once it gets hit, Simisage can be out for the count.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It's already obvious that Simisage isn't a team player. They don't like interacting with other Pokémon, and they don't like being told what to do. Serperior and/or Samurott can easily put Simisage in its place, but if you have neither of those you will have to rely solely on tactics.

It will take a long time for Simisage to grow accustom to your other Pokémon, so patience is needed as you go through this process. It's a good idea to keep youth and playful Pokémon such as Lillipup far away from Simisage; otherwise it may attack out of frustration. Antagonistic Pokémon such as Purrloin, Liepard and Ghost and Dark types in general can really mess things up for you, so keep them away!

It may take a long time, and you may get into a few scuffles, but this Pokémon can eventually be tamed and start making friends.

**Warnings: **Simisage are incredibly difficult to control, and can quickly turn on their trainers if they feel weak, insecure or are in a particularly bad mood. These Pokémon may be irate, but they aren't evil. They won't hurt you on purpose, but there have been cases of Simisage lashing out and injuring their trainers by mistake. If they do hurt you, they will sorely regret it.

**Summary: **Overall, Simisage are a highly stressful and are very difficult to domesticate. I advise against catching one in the wild, it is much better to catch a friendly Pansage and evolve it when you feel it is closely attached to both you and your Pokémon. Battle-wise they have their strengths, and they can cover a lot of weaknesses. Don't expect them to hold out against particularly enduring Pokémon, especially Emboar.

**Next Time… Number 019 Pansear!**

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**A/N: Out of all the elemental monkeys, I like Simisage the most. Isn't his hairstyle awesome? Pansear is kinda cute, but it's evolved form… *shudder***

**Fun Facts: Simisage is the only Pokémon evolved via Leaf Stone which does not have dual-typing. Simisage's hairstyle and badass personality is based on the 'bosozoku' subculture, which are groups of youths who drive around Japanese cities on motorcycles, causing trouble and being bad boys in general. They often style their hair up in outrageous ways too. They commonly appear in anime and manga.**


	22. 019 Pansear

**Number: **# 019

**Type: **Fire

**Species: **High Temp

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Baoppu

**Description:** Pansear has the hottest and energetic attitude out of all three monkeys, and it's very obvious indeed. They sometimes join the mixed communities of Pansage and Panpour, but they usually keep to their own kind. These groups leap around their volcanic homes, whooping wildly, throwing berries at anyone passing by. They are brimming with mischief and trouble, and they try to spread as much anarchy as they can.

They aren't bad creatures though, they simply don't think about other people, or how their actions affect them. If they see an injured human or Pokémon, they will stop messing around and come to help, this is a trait that they have in common with both Pansage and Pansear. Additionally they will never purposely injure someone, unless their home is under attack. They are also incredibly curious creatures, and often go out of their way or leave their group to investigate something that catches their attention. Because they live in reclusive areas such as volcanic caves, human interaction is very rare for them; so they often come running up to inspect closely when a human approaches. This is how they are generally captured.

The tuft of fur on their head contains traces of certain elements such as magnesium, which can cause a chemical reaction and heat up the tuft to extreme temperatures. It only reaches its maximum temperature when enraged though. Pissing off a Pansear is ill-advised, as they may accidentally hurt you in a temper.

Pansear are severely weakened by prolonged exposure to cold environments, and can fall ill quickly. You shouldn't let it outside of its pokeball on places such as Twist Mountain or Giant Chasm, unless forced to.

**Personality: **Pansear are natural pranksters, and as such they take few things seriously. They would rather jump up into a tree and throw berries than train or practise. As naughty as they are, they know when to act silly, and when to behave. If they sense a powerful foe they will take the fight seriously and battle with everything they have. They can also sense the general mood of a crowd of people, can react accordingly. If Pansear realises that it has hurt or upset someone, it will feel sorry and gather an offering of berries to apologize.

Pansear are known for their temper, which is easily triggered. It becomes even worse upon evolution into a Simisear, so now is the time to learn how to handle such situations. Most of their tantrums is simply yelling, jumping about and letting off small bursts of flame to express their ire. While these are normally short-lived, they can cause quite a mess. Calming Pansear down can simply be offering it berries, or asking it if it wants to play a game. You'll be amazed at how rapidly they can transition between emotions.

Their feisty spirit means that they love battling, should you train them enough to behave. They'll always leap into a battle, giving little flaming snorts of anticipation for the approaching battle. They are sore losers, just like the Pansage family and its own evolution, and will blame you for constant losses.

**Lifespan: **A Pansear will normally live to 30 – 40 years of age. If they are forced to live in a cold environment, they will only life half that amount of time.

**Diet: **They love sweet tasting things, especially berries. Pecha, Mago and Bluk berries seem to be their very favourites, Pansear will quickly come to live you if you feed it these. It uses the searing heat of its own head to cook these berries, much like Tepig does. They also love sweet human foods, including candies, cakes, chocolate and most particularly Castelia Cones. Take note that too much sugar is bad for any Pokémon, and as these Pokémon can become addicted to sugary human treats you need to watch how much they are consuming.

**How To Bond:** Pansear are easily befriended, but it take a lot of effort to maintain that relationship. If you've just caught it, you need to introduce yourself politely and ask it to be your friend. Make sure to have a bag of Pecha berries nearby in case that doesn't work out. Tell it that it will have lots of fun staying by your side, and it can make heaps of new friends. Try to keep an optimistic and upbeat tone in your voice; otherwise Pansear might think you're a dull person.

Give it lots of time to play around with your other Pokémon and explore outside, but be careful about it wandering off. There's a new upgrade developed by Silph Co. which prevents Pokémon from moving past a certain distance from the pokeball, which would come in handy with a Pokémon like Pansear. It was called the 'Guardian Angel' upgrade or something like that, so you ought to enquire within a local Pokémon Centre.

Over the first week of playing, Pansear will become more content to come inside or train by itself. It's around this time that battling can become a possibility. Tell it how wonderful battling is, and promise it rewards of sweet foods as a reward, Pansear will be rearing to go!

Pansear will eventually come to like you, even if you don't notice at first. It just requires a combination of kindness, patience and vitality.

**Battling: **Pansear is very similar to its brethren; it uses a combination of speed and strength to come out victorious. This means that Pansear is dreadful at battles within caves, as they have no space to leap about or dodge attacks. This is exacerbated by the fact that it already has a typing weakness against the resident rock and ground types; although it can learn Solar Beam via TM as a counter, so consider that. Chargestone Cave is an exception, as the Steel types of the Klink family and Bug type Joltik family both have crippling weaknesses to Fire.

Three great moves for Pansear to learn are: Flame Burst, Fire Blast and Acrobatics.

Flame Burst does exactly what it sounds like; it sends a huge burst of fire all throughout the surrounding area, burning anyone nearby. This is great for dealing with large crowds or ambushes and can buy you time to escape, or beat up and capture any survivors. Be careful though, because it injures everything nearby you needs to ensure that all your other Pokémon and yourself are far away when you give the order to attack.

Fire Blast is an incredibly powerful move that can inflict a huge amount of damage, even for a little Pokémon like Pansear. It's accuracy is a little lacking however, so you should reserve it as a finishing move, or when you are sure the opponent can't dodge it.

Acrobatics is the last good move, as it allows Pansear to put its agility to great use. It inflicts a moderate amount of damage, even though it's a Flying type move, and helps Pansear stay out of the enemies' range of attacks.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Pansear are friendly but mischievous. While they don't mean any harm, other Pokémon might take offence and attack them in anger. This means that you need to forewarn your Pokémon on Pansear's behaviour, so they know what to expect when they first encounter it.

Young Pokémon will simply join in on the fun that Pansear is having, and should befriend it with no problem at all. Depending on their personality, older Pokémon might look on warmly, or shake their heads in disgust. Remember that not every Pokémon will act friendly, so sometimes you will have no choice but to keep them separate.

Pansear can also cause fights among your Pokémon, simply by being naughty. Some of your Pokémon may try to interfere or resolve the issue, but Pansear isn't the kind of person to back down, meaning that sometimes you will have to interfere. If things get really rough you can always recall them into their pokeballs, where they can't strike each other. Give them time to cool down before holding a tactful meeting to try and diffuse the situation.

**Warnings: **As a Fire type, you need to watch out for burns. Don't touch their head if they are using it to cook or are very mad.

**Summary: **Overall, with a little patience Pansear can make a fun, strong and reliable Pokémon; and because of that it sounds like an ideal Pokémon for children, and normally it would. However, it depends entirely on whether you plan to allow Pansear to evolve into a Simisear or not. It's evolved form Simisear is very troublesome and difficult to control, so young ones are warned against training one of these unless they plan on keeping it in its Pansear form.

**Next Time… Number 020 Simisear!**

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**A/N: Uh oh… here comes Simisear. I better brace myself for this thing… Quite frankly, I don't like Panpour, Simipour, Munna, Musharna or the Pidove family at all, so I'll have to grit my teeth for the next few chapters. Even though I don't like them I won't be biased, I promise.**

**Fun Facts: Pansage is the only non-first generation Pokémon to evolve from a Fire Stone. It is also based on the 'three wise monkeys' motif, representing 'hear no evil' in particular.**


	23. 020 Simisear

**Number: **# 020

**Type: **Fire

**Species: **Ember

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Baokkie

**Description:** Oh dear, somehow you obtained a Simisear. Maybe you finally felt that you and your Pansear were close enough to challenge the call of evolution, or maybe you were crazy enough to not only fight a wild Simisear, but capture one. In any case, this guide isn't about _why_ you caught your Pokémon; it's about what to do when you _have_. Simisear are like a rougher, angrier version of Simisage; and that's saying something. If fact, I barely need to explain it at all if you have read Simisage's entry.

Just like Simisage, Simisear is forced out of home by all the younger Pansear, because otherwise Simisear would cause them a lot of trouble. In rage, Simisear stomps out of its old cave and sulks near the top of volcanoes, Geysers or other hot areas. If they can't find a suitable place to live, they will contently settle down in a forest to live.

Biologically, Simisear resembles Pignite to a remarkable degree, leaving some researchers to speculate that The Tepig and Simisear families used to be related through archaic genus. Simisear possess the same flame organ that Pignite has, but uses it for an alternate purpose. Pignite uses it to gain energy from food and improve its own Fire type attacks, whereas Simisear only uses it to increase its attack strength.

Another difference is that is also contains a stomach as well. Simisear has to eat food and digest it, upon which the energy gained from the digested food is sent to the flame organ, to be used up to boost attacks. Simisear is unable to consume many of the things Pignite can, and thus it has to stick to normally edible foods such as berries. This is why Simisear loves sweet-tasting foods so much; all the extra sugar can provide extra nourishment and energy for that ever-burning flame.

**Personality: **Simisear has the most violent temperament of all the elemental monkeys, and even stands out amongst all Unova Pokémon; training a wild Simisear is seen as a veteran challenge that only the most elite trainers take on. Simisear that have been evolved from a well behaved Pansear are a different story. While they still have a well renowned temper, it isn't as terrible as their wild counterparts. This is mainly because they remember how you treated them as a young Pansear, and will be very grateful for the kindness, love and assistance you have provided them over your time spent together.

Even so, they are an extremely brittle and unpredictable and a stronger Pokémon is needed to come to your aid should Simisear lose its cool. As with the other monkeys and 80% of Pokémon, Simisear won't intentionally injure you; but because it doesn't pay attention to its surroundings, there's a high chance it could send a Fire Burst your way.

When tamed and calmed, they start to resemble their previous form, by being curious and playful. When Simisear is angered or excited, heat from its internal flame swells up within its body and is send to the head and tail; upon which both become intensely scorching hot. This is why you must never try to physically restrain or comfort it when it does get upset, as you could swiftly succumb to third degree burns.

**Lifespan: **Simisear live for a shorter period of time compared to their relatives, only living from 40 – 50 years of age. This is probably due to the fact that Simisear is easily stressed; which has a negative effect on the body.

**Diet:** Simisear needs a huge amount of food to sustain its internal flame. Because of this, it often hoards up large quantities of berries, most of which are often stolen or taken by force from other weaker Pokémon. It takes these up to its reclusive cave and stockpiles them, much like how Krookodile hoards treasures that it has stolen from beaten trainers.

When captured, they will gorge themselves on any sweet food provided. It is highly advised that you don't let Simisear walk with you in human settlements, because it will sniff out sweet foods and eat them, without asking for permission first. Since they are so self-centred, they won't care about anyone who is being inconvenienced by this, and will strike out at anyone who interferes.

They'll be very happy if you provide any sort of yummy, sweet foods, and this is a god way to earn Simisear's favour when you first meet it.

**How To Bond: **This is an almost insurmountable challenge for a wild Simisear. They are simply too cocky and arrogant to bother about what you have to say, and will fight back in defiance if you try to assert any form of authority. Because of this, you shouldn't even think about catching one unless you have at least six of the eight Unova gym badges.

When first meeting, you need to be friendly yet firm. Since you beat it in battle to capture it, it will be aware of just how strong your Pokémon are and will likely stop to sum you up. Have your strongest Pokémon standing beside you as you talk to give a reminder of your strength. Try not to be too imposing though, otherwise Simisear might strike out and then retreat into the forest.

Promise to it that you will feed it, take care of it and make it stronger, and the only thing you want in return is a little cooperation. Hold out some yummy berries as a bribe. It is likely to comply, but if not you may have to return it to its ball and try again the next day.

Over the next handful of weeks, uphold your promise. Let it roam the area freely and do as it pleases, to come when you call to battle or be feed. This will teach Simisear that it can live freely like it used to, but have to extra bonus of earning extra food, having battles and enjoying itself. When it has learnt this, it will be more willing to comply with your ideas.

As your relationship strengthens, try talking to it. Tell it your dreams and ideals, and ask what it thinks. Who knows! You might just have something in common.

**Battling: **Simisear is just like Simisage in the fact that it relies on speed and attack power to overwhelm foes. Unfortunately, it is noticeably much more bulky than Simisage and this interferes somewhat, so it uses more attack than speed. It can blast through caves unlike Simisage though, and because it has a typing advantage over the residents, it doesn't have to worry about the confined space.

Also like Simisage, Simisear can no longer learn any more moves after evolving. This isn't really a problem, because Simisear only evolves when exposed to a Fire Stone, which are quite rare anyway. This means that you can train up Pansear as much as you wish until you are satisfied with all the moves it has learnt.

Additionally, Simisage can learn a truly massive variety of TMs, including ones from varying types.

The best move you could possibly teach your Simisear is Sunny Day, a move which forces the weather patterns in the area to change until it becomes a blazingly sunny day. Of course this doesn't work at night, however. This move boosts the power of Fire type's moves, making the already heavy hitter into a powerhouse. It also weakens the power of Water type moves, helping to counter one of Simisear's main weaknesses.

As if that wasn't enough, Simisear can also learn Solar Beam, a Grass type move that _is super effective against all three of Simisear's weaknesses!_ This move is a must for anyone with a Simisear. And if Sunny Day is in effect, this move is made even more powerful! I implore that you teach your Pokémon this move.

Besides Solar Beam, you should stick to Fire type moves. Solar Beam has your weaknesses covered, so you can now focus on maximizing your attack strength, boosted by both STAB and Sunny Day.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Simisear are selfish, reclusive and solitary creatures. They don't interact well with other Pokémon so relationships will be tense for the first few weeks. Let Simisear keep to itself for a while, until its natural curiosity draws it in to investigate your lifestyle. At that time, slowly get it to interact with your other Pokémon. Give it some tasks so it feels included and welcome, and try to pair it up with a friendly Pokémon. This way Simisear will feel encouraged to start participating.

Allowing it to participate in double or triple battles with strong allies is another great technique, as Simisear respects power. It will also give it the opportunity to form friendships through fighting; letting your Pokémon become both closer and stronger!

Younger Pokémon will be easily frightened by Simisear, so it is better that you keep them far away until Simisear leans how to handle creatures as weak as them.

**Warnings: **Be wary of Simisear's temper and attitude. Even the best of trainers have to stop and act diplomatically to their Simisear.

**Summary: **Simisear is a powerful, angry and potentially dangerous Pokémon. DO NOT attempt to capture one unless you have at least six badges and some strong Pokémon to back you up. I advise against even bothering to catch one at all, If you want one so badly it is better to evolve one up from a Pansear that you have closely bonded with.

**Next Time… Number 021 Panpour!**

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**A/N: This chapter was quite difficult, as Simisear is so very similar to Simisage that I had to stop and think hard about what I could add to differentiate between the two. Thankfully, Panpour and Simipour are different then their brethren, so I can write something new for them.**

**Fun Facts: Even though they are called the Ember Pokémon, and their Pokedex entry mentions embers, Pansear cannot actually learn the move Ember. Simisear eating sweets for its fire within its body to burn could be based on the effects of carbohydrates giving energy for the body.**


	24. Celebrity Spotlight - Clever Lad Cheren

**A/N: Oops! I was supposed to have a Celebrity Spotlight every tenth chapter, but this one is two chapters late. Now everything is botched up… I guess I'll just have to have the next one in eight chapters.**

* * *

**Name: **Cheren

**Japanese Name: **Cheren

**Typing Specialty: **Normal

**Gender: **Male

**Description: **Cheren is the successor to Lenora as the Normal type Gym Leader, recently setting his Gym up at the Aspertia Trainer's School. In conjunction to being a Gym Leader, he is also a teacher at the school that the Gym is located at. This is a great combination as it allows him to show his students the tricks and skills of battling up close, and help them prepare to get their first badge.

A few years ago, Cheren received his starter Pokémon Tepig from that moron Professor Juniper and set out on his own Pokémon journey, alongside two friends. One was a girl named Bianca, a cheery yet naïve girl who got roped into being the salve of that tyrant professor Juniper. The other is a mysterious boy who went missing a few years ago. We, alongside the media, are still investigating him. He seems to be very capable at battling, and has good knowledge on Pokémon in general. The combination of these two must have paved the way for him to become the success he is now.

He has become involved in both of Team Plasma's schemes over these few years; he fought against Team Plasma several times in their initial up rise, and continued to do so with new allies upon the revival of Team Plasma.

**Personality: **He is diligent, hard-working and highly intelligent. He has a vast knowledge on Pokémon (although not as good as mine!) and uses this to win victories and teach is students. As a drawback, he is quite impatient and judgemental, and will angrily scold people if he sees that they are not treating their Pokémon correctly. He only does this because he cares about the welfare of Pokémon, and genuinely wants all trainers who fight him to improve.

Years ago he was obsessed with becoming powerful, relentlessly pursuing strength above everything else; but he lacked a reason to explain why he acted so. He went away for two years to train and learn, and he came back a slightly different person. It is now known whether he found his answer or not, but regardless he is no longer power-hungry like he used to be.

**Battling: **Cheren battles with Normal type Pokémon, so he uses simple but effective strategies to suit. Because his Gym is aimed at inexperienced trainers and is seen as a 'starter' gym, he uses young and weak Pokémon to battle. The team he fights challengers with consists of a Patrat and a Lillipup. He seems to have trained his Lillipup quite well, as it behaves far better than expected as one of its species.

The most dangerous thing you have to watch out for is the move Work Up, which raises both attack and Special Attack at once. If you let them do this too many times, even the most half-hearted tackle could spell doom for your team.

Riolu have been rarely sighted at the nearby Floccesy Ranch, and have a great typing advantage against both of his Pokémon, so it is a good idea to patiently search for one to capture. They are hard to find, but if you do manage to catch one your battle against him will be a breeze.

**With Pokémon:** He genuinely loves his Pokémon; but it isn't very obvious due to his calm and serious nature. He works his Pokémon hard to make sure they can fight at their very best, but he does have a tender side that very few people witness. It is this combination of kindness and intelligence that makes him a fantastic trainer and Gym Leader.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Burgh!**

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**A/N: Oh dear, this one turned out to be a little short. Oh well, it **_**is**_** a bonus drabble. I plan to do Burgh next, but I might do Roxie instead if you prefer. Leave it in your review if you'd rather have her!**

**Now, back to these dreadful monkeys…**


	25. 021 Panpour

**Number: **# 021

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Spray

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Hiyappu

**Description: **Panpour is the Water type member of the elemental monkey trio. It is by far the most docile, friendly and easiest to catch and train. Just like the other two, Panpour are very Pokémon to encounter in the wild; this is because they live in hidden locations not normally explored by humans.

Their habitat consists of either marshes, or mountaintop lakes and rivers. Additionally, they sometimes migrate into the Moor of Iccirus in the warmer months. This is because they thrive in wet or damp environments, but it is also because they live in fear of anything very dry. You see, Panpour survive off the amounts of water stored away in their heads and tails, and this water is very susceptible to evaporation. If they stay within an arid area such as Route 4 for too long, they will become weakened and eventually die.

As previously stated, Panpour require a large amount of water to survive. In order to meet this need, they store a volume of water in special sacs located within their head and tail. They can use these sacs to either hydrate themselves, or alternately they can squirt it out for conventional purposes, or use it as a weapon.

This water is purified within their body and contains many nutrients; so any plant watered by this will grow quickly and become very large. Because of this, many farmers or agriculturists own Panpour to aid them in gardening or other uses. Panpour are kind creatures so they love to help humans by doing these sorts of jobs.

**Personality: **Panpour are the kindest of all the elemental monkeys, which is saying a lot. Much like Pansage's leaves have medicinal qualities, Panpour's water does too. It uses this water to tend to the wounds of any injured creature they see, or them drink it to become hydrated. They stop to heal humans or captured Pokémon too, and this is one of the only times they are seen interacting with humans in their natural habitat. This is also how they are usually caught; but unlike the other two, who usually have to be forced to join, Panpour will sometimes happily join a traveling human out of curiosity, or because they sense a kind and loving human…

They have the kindness and playfulness of both Pansage and Pansear, but they lack the competitive spirit, energy and temper of either. They would rather spend their life in the slow lane, enjoying everything as much as they can while everyone else races past. Because they are so passive, many people think that Panpour is weaker, slower or less intelligent; it is actually quite to opposite. Panpour is just as fast and strong as their counterparts; they just don't show it as often. They are also _more_ intelligent than Pansage and Pansear, because they move slowly enough to observe and learn from their surroundings, while Pansage and Pansear carry on in haste.

While they aren't crazy about battling like their brethren, they can still enjoy battling and get into the spirit of things.

**Lifespan: **Panpour live noticeably longer than the other monkeys, reaching about 40 – 50 years of age. We are currently conducting research to explain this.

**Diet: **Panpour stick to simple foods such as berries and nuts, and lack the interest for sweets unlike the others. Instead, they are more content to eat basic and plain tasting foods, such as bread. Maybe this is because they do not require the extra energy to keep themselves going, because they do not use up so much energy as Pansear.

**How To Bond: **Panpour are basic creatures, and their demeanour is vastly different from the other elemental monkeys. They will cheerfully listen to your commands shortly after meeting you, and aren't the type of Pokémon to complain. However, they are wise Pokémon, and will quickly figure it out when you are taking advantage of them or bullying them. They won't tolerate this for long, and will quickly abandon you if the bad treatment persists.

All you need to do to bond with this Pokémon is be a nice person, and make it obvious. Share your food, play with it, and make it feel important. Give it jobs to complete so it feels accomplished too. As a simple Pokémon, bonding can be as easy as living besides them.

As they are naturally apprehensive of combat, you will have to warm them up to the idea of it first if you want them as a competitive Pokémon. Talk to them about all the spoils of victory, and how great it is to be a winner. Tell it how you can travel the world and see many different exciting things. As a Pokémon that has lived hidden away for all its life, this will be tremendously appealing.

**Battling: **As mentioned many times, Panpour are disinterested in battling. This means you have to convince them that battling is worth it! When you have done this, they can make a useful member on your team.

Being a pure Water type, Panpour only has two typing weaknesses; Grass and Electric. Electric Pokémon are far and few between in Unova, so normally that wouldn't sound like a problem, but there are many non-Electric Pokémon that can learn Electric moves just as easily, so you need to be wary. Grass types are your main hindrance, as they are irritatingly common and can have a series of debilitating effects.

Panpour can only evolve by exposure to a Water Stone, and once it has evolved it can no longer learn any more moves naturally. This means that you need to teach Panpour as many moves as you can, unless you plan on teaching it TMs after evolution. It starts off with basic moves such as Scratch and Water Gun, but it learns better ones as it gains more battle experience.

One fantastic move that Panpour learns early on is Scald, a powerful attack boosted by STAB. In addition to being powerful, it can also inflict a burn. Many wild Pokémon wise up and flee from battle when they receive a burn, as it means they are always at a gradually increasing disadvantage.

Acrobatics is another suggested move, as it lets Panpour make good use of its speed, plus it can be used to counter against those pesky Grass types. Keep in mind that the common Bug-Grass type Sewaddle family has _quadruple_ weakness to Flying type attacks, this can be used to storm your way through forests.

Apart from those, Panpour also learns more moves, although not quite as useful as those two, and the majority of them are Dark. If these moves don't quite cut it out for you, feel free to visit the TM section of your local Pokemart.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **They are benevolent and caring, and this shows through in their interactions with other Pokémon. They are skilled at making friends and become popular quickly, so they make great team members. They know how to maximize teamwork and effort, so they really shine in double battles. They will also help feed your other Pokémon and tend to their injuries, so they can 'babysit' your younger Pokémon should you need to go elsewhere for the time being.

Younger Pokémon will rapidly warm up to Panpour and start to view it as a bigger brother or sister, and start following it around adoringly. Alternately, older Pokémon will see Panpour as a responsible young'un and likely give it the respect it deserves.

**Warnings: **Panpour poses no threat to you. However, you must always remember that it will quickly succumb to a dry environment, so make sure to return it to its pokeball should the sunlight turn harsh. Also, never _ever_ take Panpour to Route 4 or Relic Castle. Panpour will die within minutes of being exposed to such a harsh combination of heat, aridness and sandstorms. Only a truly irresponsible trainer would lead their Pokémon into such circumstances.

**Summary: **Panpour are a wonderful species of Pokémon that can be a real help in battle and in normal life. They suit both lifestyles too, and can adapt to match any changes as well. Because of their caring, compassionate nature they make wondrous Pokémon for new or inexperienced trainers, because they can help support the responsibility of caring for multiple trainers. They also evolve into a nice Pokémon, unlike the other two monkeys. **  
**

**Next Time… Number 022 Simipour!**

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**A/N: I did better than anticipated… Oh well, I had a lot to work with for this Pokémon, although I felt like I compared it to the other monkeys a bit much. On an unrelated note, I'm looking forward to Blitzle's entry, only four entries away! **

**Fun Facts: It, along with its two contemporaries, seem to inspired by the three wise monkeys motif; with its eyes closed, Panpour represents "see no evil". It is also based on a fountain or a geyser.**


	26. 022 Simipour

**Number: **# 022 Simipour

**Type: **Water

**Species:**

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Male

**Japanese Name: **Hiyakkie

**Description: **Simipour is simply a stronger and more competent version of Panpour. It retains its personality from its previous form; unlike the other two elemental monkeys. Upon evolution in the wild, Simipour choose one of two lifestyles and stick with it until death, or capture. In one they take a reserved lifestyle and spend their time supervising colonies of Panpour from a distance, not interfering with their lives unless they are in dire need of help. They are seen as the wisest members of the colonies, and the young Panpour sometimes ask them for advice, or battle them if they wish to prove themselves capable.

The other form of living is the way of the wanderer. They leave behind their life within the colony and go off on their own, moving across the world. As they travel to different locations, they stop to build hovels hidden away from prying human eyes. From these secret hovels they observe all the wild Pokémon living peacefully, ready to step in to defend any human or Pokémon in need of help. They can be seen in almost any environment, but they steer very clear of extremely hot or cold biomes. They are most commonly seen in humid or damp environments, such as swamps, marshes and rainy moors.

They store large volumes of water in their head and tail, filling up stretchy sacs, with this water they can trek for days without having to stop. It is also purified internally, the result being very clean and healthy water with medicinal properties ever better than an unevolved Panpour's. Simipour have extensive knowledge on the art of medicine, so with this water and other herbs and berries gathered they can tend to and heal any wound. Due to these traits, Simipour are often compared to Audino, another well-known natural medic.

Since Panpour can only evolve into a Simipour via contact with a Water Stone, evolutions are a very rare thing in the wild. Due to this, Simipour hold evolution in high regard and have special rituals to bestow any found Water Stones to respectable Panpour in the community.

**Personality: **They keep the major traits of their personality as a Panpour, but have a few more to add on as well. They no longer leap about and play childishly as they once used to, and instead focus on assisting others and gaining wisdom for themselves. This doesn't mean they aren't kind anymore, no, no. Simipour are indeed one of the kindest species of Pokémon, as made evident by their abundant desire to help others.

Cheerful and optimistic are the first two words that come to mind when discussing Simipour, and they always smile warmly and hope for a better future, no matter how far away that future might be. Because of this wonderful personality, an organisation that aids the depressed has started pairing badly afflicted people up with Simipour, with the knowledge that if anyone can help those gloomy people, Simipour can.

Unlike Simisage and Simisear, it is actually suggested to catch a wild Simipour; this is because they are friendly, helpful and easy to bond with, traits that the other two monkeys lack entirely.

**Lifespan: **Simipour live far longer than both Simisage and Simisear, a normal lifespan ranges between 70 – 100 years of age. A hypothesis suggests that this is because Simipour live calmer lives than their counterparts, and as a result conserve enough power to lengthen their lives. Simipour older than 100 years are an extremely rarity, and some legends insist that at this age some gain the ability to talk in human language, through years of collected wisdom.

**Diet: **Simipour patiently gather berries and nuts to carry around with them on their travels. Amazingly, some of our field agents have reported that some Simipour have negotiated with Leavanny to convince them to weave them a basket out of leaves to carry these foods around. Pokémon are intelligent creatures, almost exactly on level with humans, but positive interactive behaviour like this is rarely observed in the wild.

Captured Simipour are content to eat a range of foods, but do not like things that have overly strong tastes. Plain foods such as bread, cereals and rice will do them just fine. They do however; require a large amount of water. Even though they hold a fair amount inside their own body, it is a good idea to carry a flask of water around just in case, especially if you plan on travelling far away from easily accessible water.

**How To Bond: **Living alone in the wilderness for years can make any Pokémon lonely. For a kind and sociable Pokémon like Simipour, this is ever moreso. Because of this, Simipour who have chosen to wander often appear before trainers and summarize whether they are strong and kind enough to be worthy of catching them. If a Simipour decides you are too weak or too cruel, it will disappear before you can even lay a finger on your pokeballs. If you haven't figured it out, Simipour _let_ you catch them. If it didn't like you, then it would have vanished. Since it has already trusted itself to you, it will be willing to open up and bond with you quickly.

They like to help and make a good use of their presence, so get them as inclusive and hands-on as you can. Ask it to gather berries or help prepare meals, or assist in setting up camp. Simipour live to help, and after so many years of helping from the shadows they will be more than happy to lend any service they can give. Working alongside Simipour will strengthen the bonds forming between the two of you, as it will quickly latch onto you, its new friend.

**Battling: **Simipour retains its pacific qualities and is unwilling to fight unless defending its allies or a helpless creature in need of aid. This results in most people having using their Simipour for conventional or personal reasons only. But this does not mean that your Simipour will not battle for you, all it needs is a little coaxing or bribing. Try temping it with delicious berries or some other reward.

As with the other monkeys, Simipour does not learn any moves upon evolving, so if your Simipour has been evolved from a Panpour, you better have taught it some good moves beforehand. Alternately you can buy TMs, of which Simipour can learn a large variety of. I've covered all of them within Panpour's entry so backtrack if you need to.

Additionally, Simipour relies on speed and attack to overwhelm enemies, although it is noticeably more graceful about its tactics in comparison to Simisage and Simipour. It can blast huge torrents of water out of its tail; the force of these blasts is enough to destroy concrete. Its usual tactic is to wear to opponent down with weak but rapid attacks, until it has the opportunity to finish them off with a huge torrent of water. Being a pure Water type, Simipour also moves more swiftly within water, so if you find yourself in a pinch, try and divert the battle into a nearby source of water. Simipour can also use its internally stored water to soak the battlefield as an alternative.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Simipour love taking care of other Pokémon, although they are used to doing it from a distance. It may have the best of intentions, but it may make some clumsy mistakes due to not being fully competent at close interactions. This can make your other Pokémon angry or upset at poo Simipour, who will not have realised what it has done wrong. You should slowly take Simipour through the first days of living with others until it learns how to act appropriately.

When it knows just what to do, Simipour makes a great 'Team Mum' or 'Team Dad' who looks after all the other Pokémon and protects them when you can't. Although they don't try an establish leadership, many younger Pokémon look up to them upon realising Simipour is skilled at surviving. Even so, Simipour will happily hand over the reigns of leadership back to you, or another competent Pokémon should you not return.

It is very protective of its new friends, and will do everything it can to treat any of their wounds on status conditions. If left alone, Simipour itself can heal a fainted group of five Pokémon by itself! As you can imagine, this is very exhausting work and Simipour may forget to take care of itself.

**Warnings: **None! Simipour are gentle creatures who mean to harm.

**Summary: **Simipour is the least proficient in battle, but it makes up for that in kindness and medicinal skills. Out of all the monkeys, Simipour is the only one that is recommended to be caught, and for good reason. If you'd rather have a thoughtful and helpful friend rather than a strong battle, Simipour is the right monkey for you.

**Next Time… Number 023 Munna!**

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**A/N: Sorry for the late chapter, there was an internet outage.**

**Even though I don't like Simipour, I came up with a few good ideas for it, such as the 'wanderer' idea. It's probably because Simipour is different from the other two and I was grateful for that. Now I have to move onto Munna… Yeesh I wish I could go straight to Blitzle!**

**Fun Facts: Simipour and Panpour are the only Pokémon capable of learning Scald by levelling up. Simipour represents February in the Unova Horoscope. (James the flaming Moltres, anyone?) **


	27. 023 Munna

**Number: **# 023

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Dream Eater

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Munna

**Description: **Munna is a unique Pokémon that cannot be compared to any other Pokémon across the world in terms of appearance and abilities. The only Pokémon that even remotely resembles it is Hypno.

Munna's biology functions unlike any other Pokémon, and this is made even stranger when used in conjunction with psychic powers. It always floats in mid-air; it is assumed that they use their own psychic powers to suspend their own bodies, something that requires huge concentration. Given that Munna never shows any sort of exertion, they may have some immensely powerful skills that are never seen.

A hundred years ago they were almost never seen, to the point where some just considered them an imaginary or mythical Pokémon. However, a huge swarm of them appeared after the destruction of the Dreamyard, they were seemingly attracted to all the reserve amounts of dream mist now polluting the area. When this occurred, throngs of scientists ran to document as much information as they possibly could. Even so, no one has yet to find out their natural habitat, or where they lived before they migrated to the Dreamyard.

They feed off the dreams of people and Pokémon as a source of nutrition, and in return excrete a strange gas notably called dream mist. Not much is known about this mysterious substance, besides the fact that when Munna eats your dream and produces dream mist, your dreams can be seen by anyone witnessing. This can be embarrassing if you had some particularly kinky dream about someone you know…

Because I have no information on Munna myself I visited Scientist Fennel, a leading expert on the matter. I've included her quote here:

"_Dream mist is a very special psychic phenomenon gifted to us from the Munna and Musharna! To them, it is nothing more than the excrement of their most recent meal, but to us it is a promising and wonderful key to a safe and powerful future!_

_It is the physical manifestation of dreams itself, the dreams are processed and all the nutrients beneficial to Munna are consumed, and any unwanted wastes are expelled, thus giving out the dream mist. Fragments of the dreams themselves are included within the dream mist, but is encased in thick concentrations of the noble gases, such as Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon and Radon, as well as some traces of materials not found on the Periodic Table!_

_This mist contains extreme amounts of conserved energy that could not normally be accessed, but our current research is focusing on a way to allow us the use that power, and if we could we could create free, efficient power produced by our very own dreams! We are on the path to a brave new world!" – _Scientist Fennel

She was very excited the whole time. I think she needs to go and have some sleep herself.

**Personality: **As with all Psychic Pokémon, Munna is very mystic indeed, and there are many things yet to be learnt about how and why they behave the way they do. They seem to focus solely on finding dreams to consume, so they often leave the Dreamyard and travel to Striaton City at night, to find and devour lovely dreams. They are single-minded when it comes to this, and they will ignore everything in their pursuit to devour a dream. If you attack them or try to interfere at this point, they will become very angry, and will retaliate in response. They won't hold back either, so prepare for some very dangerous Psychic moves.

When not pursuing dreams they are very calm and docile, and happily mill about all day. Since dreams are their only food source, they needn't worry about food. Additionally they have few predators, so they have no need to worry. This means they spend most of their time idling around, or playing with another. They seem to form groups of 3 – 4 and huddle around, although they often go off on their own.

They seem kind enough to help, and are very curious indeed. If you suffer from terrible nightmares large clusters of them will appear and put you to sleep, to feed off your horrible nightmares and rid you of them.

**Lifespan:** Due to their obscurity and rarity, very few Munna have been witnessed to die. Because of this we have been unable to determine an average lifespan.

**Diet: **Munna feed only off of dreams. A dissection has not yet been performed on a Munna, so we do not yet know how or why they consume dreams and benefit off them. We have good reason to assume that the consumption process is carried out entirely by Psychic abilities, as no known organic process could turn dreams into an edible item. If starved, they will forcibly put victims to sleep by using sleep-inducing moves such as Yawn or Hypnosis.

**How To Bond: **Munna are most concerned with eating dreams, it is believed that this somehow contributes to their evolution. They will come to like you very quickly if you let it regularly eat the dreams of you and your Pokémon. Just be wary, dreams supposedly have different effects and flavour depending on the nature of the dream, so any dreams containing evil or dark intentions will not only disgust Munna, but will make it wary of you and unwilling to be with you.

For a Pokémon, they do very little. Since they have so few things to do each day, they become very curious and like to investigate things. You should buy it lots of toys and take it to many interesting places to keep it entertained. I hear Nimbasa City is a good place to treat them to.

It won't take much to bond with Munna, just keep it fed and entertained and it'll stick with you. If either of these needs are not met, Munna will vanish when you are not looking.

**Battling: **Battling isn't a top priority for Munna, or a priority at all. After being bonded with however, they will be willing to fight for you. As a pure Psychic type, nearly every one of its moves are special or status moves. It has high health, but its defences are very brittle indeed. When sending Munna out to battle you need to either buff its defences, or have healing moves prepared in reserve. Defense Curl and Calm Mind are two good moves for boosting defences; and Moonlight can pull you out of a tricky situation if needed.

Munna's most famous technique involves using Hypnosis to put the opponent to sleep, and then use it's Dream Eater attack to not only deal damage to a defenceless opponent, but heal Munna for a great deal of damage. This can turn any rapidly approaching loss into a victory!

Synchronoise can be used to strike back against fellow Psychic types, which are normally immune to other Psychic attacks. As an alternate to Dream Eater, Nightmare is another great move that deals massive damage to a sleeping opponent.

Psychic types are all about tactics, so you need to spend a great deal of time thinking up ingenious techniques to carry out in any circumstance.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **They generally stick to their own kind, so they have very little interest in other Pokémon. They won't mind playing with them if they prove entertaining though. Be extremely wary of Dark and Ghost types however, both commonly harbour malignant thoughts and this will most likely manifest in their dreams. Munna can get very sick from evil dreams, and it can scare them badly and damage their mind. It's better that you don't have Dark and Ghost types on the same team, for the sake of convenience.

**Warnings: **Don't try and interfere Munna while it is trying to eat. It will strike out mindlessly in anger.

**Summary: **Munna is a curious Pokémon that isn't built for battle, but can serve appropriately if bonded with which is a rather trivial task anyway. They rely on tactics rather than strength, so they certainly aren't the type of Pokémon for those who like to leap into battle with guns blazing.

**Next Time… Number 024 Musharna!**

* * *

**A/N: I think I did well with this one, especially since I don't like Munna… It seems like its only purpose was to promote the Dream World, and as a result it receives very little in character development. Musharna is even worse than Munna…**

**Fun Facts: In Generations I and III, on Route 10, Picnicker Carol mentions that she wishes that there were pink Pokémon with floral patterns, a description of which Munna fits.**

**Furthermore, an employee at the Devon Corporation states that he wants to create a machine that can visually reproduce the dreams of Pokémon. Dream Mist, which is produced by Munna, can achieve this.**

**Munna's design is based in a Japanese incense burner, called a koro. They are usually shaped like a pig and have painted patterns on them. It may also be based on a Baku, a mythical Japanese creature that eats the dreams of human.**


	28. 024 Musharna

**Number: **# 024

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Drowsing

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Musharna

**Description: **Musharna are an extremely rare sight. They only evolve when exposed to a Moon Stone, a stone that is almost as rare as Musharna itself. This means that we have very little information on them at all, as we only have a few living specimens living at our Pokémon range. If you own one of these rare Pokémon, you should be very proud of yourself indeed.

Even when it has evolved, dreams remain its one and only source of nutrition. But it doesn't relentlessly pursue them the way it used to as a Munna. This is because it can now store large quantities within itself for later consumption, plus it is now far more efficient at processing dreams and often has much to spare.

It is always curled into a foetal position and gives the illusion that it is always asleep, but do not be fooled. It rests like that to increase its own psychic powers and process dreams. It can also re-watch any dream that it has ever witnessed while in this form. This ability is useful, as it serves the same purpose as a photographic memory. Officer Jenny of Striaton City has a Musharna working at the police station, for the purpose of analysing suspect's dreams for evidence of crimes. The Head of Justice is currently deciding whether to include a Musharna in every police station across Unova.

Amazingly, there have been one or two documented cases of Musharna knowing telepathy, and being able to communicate fluidly with humans using it. The only known Pokémon capable of telepathy are legendaries, powerful Psychics, and Pokémon of great age, wisdom or determination. Apparently any Pokémon can learn to communicate with humans, and there was even a report that a talking Meowth was seen lately in Unova along with two shady people.

They can also swiftly fall asleep and wake up again, or even hover in-between! I have no idea why they would even want to do this, but with such a mysterious Pokémon, we have to leave it up to conjecture…

**Personality:** Due to their new efficient body, they rarely need to hunt for dreams; as a result, they don't need to spend any time whatsoever trying to preserve themselves. This means they spend nearly all of their time sleeping or idling around. As you can imagine, this results in a very lonely Pokémon. They investigate anything that catches their attention and follow it relentlessly until their curiosity is sated. This includes interesting people, so if you live your life in a special way you may find a Musharna hovering over your shoulder one day observing you.

They seem to be more benevolent than their previous form; as they now actively try to help people and Pokémon, and show clear signs of distress should someone be harmed. They also seem to be much wiser and maternal, sheltering any weak or young Pokémon they find. Regardless of this, they do not like fighting and will flee if an aggressive creature shows up.

**Lifespan: **No Musharna have ever been witnesses to die of natural causes so far. But even the oldest known Musharna seem to show no signs of age or weariness, so we can assume that they are long lived creatures.

**Diet: **Musharna still feeds entirely off dreams, but after evolution they have become far more efficient at consuming them, to the point where they often have a reserve amount. They can store this extra amount of dreams within their own mind for later consumption, allowing them to last for long periods of time without searching for food. Since they are kind creatures, they actively search out those who suffer from nightmares, so they can eat them and rid the victim of their misfortune. That sounds like a certain legendary Pokémon…

You must be careful not to feed it any dreams containing nasty or evil intentions, as this makes Musharna suffer and the wickedness stores up, until Musharna can't take anymore and releases it all violently, causing a catastrophic explosion. This was how the Dreamyard was destroyed many years ago, scientists managed to find a Musharna for the first time and planned to use it to create free energy, but their own evil dreams corrupted Musharna and they caused their own deaths.

**How To Bond: **A wild Musharna becomes extremely lonely after living by itself for so long, and having nothing to do compounds the problem. A Munna that you have evolved via a Moon Stone will fully understand the rarity of being evolved. Regardless of how you obtained it, it will be extremely grateful to you for bringing it to where it is now.

Whether it is out of loneliness or gratitude, Musharna will happily follow you and respect you for as long as you wish. Be warned however, they are gentle, kind creatures that hate violence or cruelty, and will flee at the first sign of either. With these creatures, you need to act friendly and loving all the time to nurture to steadily forming trust between the two of you.

As stated, they are a very curious species. They will be devoted to you, but if someone or something far more interesting appears, they will be inclined to follow that instead of you.

**Battling: **Musharna are a very docile and passive species, and they certainly do not like fighting; however with patience they can be coaxed into battling for you. The most convincing way is to tell it that battling is a form of sport rather than combat, and that it is something that can be enjoyed by everyone and has various rewards. Give it the chance to witness to easy battles for further sway.

As with all Pokémon evolved from a stone, Musharna cannot learn anymore moves upon evolving, so you better have taught it some good moves before you gave it that Moon Stone!

Statistics-wise, Musharna has high health, defences and special attack. It's attack is pathetically low, but that doesn't matter since Musharna works as a steady wall, taking many hits before it falls. Its high special attack means it can fend off any attackers as well, although unfortunately Musharna is slow as molasses. By the time Musharna would have used its first attack, the enemy wold have gotten in several. Due to this, you should always try to buff up Musharna's defences first, heal itself, and then retaliate. If you try to dish out attacks straight away, you'll find that Musharna just won't survive.

Musharna still relies on debilitating its opponent with status effects to obtain victory, most notably by inducing sleep. This means that you, the trainer, has to come up with clever tactics that allows Musharna to bring out its full potential. This will take a lot of time, patience and training, but if you pull it off Musharna can be a very powerful competitor.

Typing-wise, Dark types are your biggest threat. They have a full immunity to _all _of the moves that can be possibly learnt, both natural ones and TMs. Having a sweeping Fighting type backed up in reserve is a clever idea for these types, as Musharna simply doesn't stand a chance.

Bug types are extremely common, both in the wild and in official battling. Although they don't sport an immunity like Dark types do, they still have a dominant resistance and their super effective attacks just simply hit too hard for Musharna to handle.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **They are a kind and caring species, who are very sympathetic towards anyone suffering misfortune. Young Pokémon will be cared for and protected by Musharna once it has come to know them, and it will do everything it can to protect them. Musharna can understand another Pokémon's feelings through psychic powers, so they will try to comfort any of your Pokémon that are suffering on the inside. Most of your team should get along well with Musharna.

However, Musharna will certainly not trust Ghost or Dark types, because it feels very vulnerable and defenceless towards them. This is made even worse if Musharna can sense any evil or bad intentions coming from them. It will take a very long time for Musharna to trust them even slightly, and even then that trust could easily be shattered. It is better to keep Musharna on a separate team from any of those trouble makers.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Musharna is one of the most low-maintenance Pokémon that I know, and can be a real asset if you know how to use it. Outside of battle, they don't really serve a purpose besides being your friend. But since they are easy to befriend and bond with, that is just fine. In battle, they require and intelligent trainer to bring out their inner strength, and do not work well with people who focus on strength.

**Next Time… Number 025 Pidove!**

* * *

**A/N: This one was also difficult, as Musharna really is just a larger version of Munna; and as a result I found myself having very little to talk about. Oh well, so long as I reach my 1K quota, and the reader is entertained, it doesn't matter. On an unrelated note, I can't wait to get Pidove out of the way and start on Blitzle!**

**Fun Facts: There's nothing really different about it in relation to Munna… It's does however resemble a foetus, which somehow ties in with the whole dream motif. **


	29. 025 Pidove

**Number: **# 025

**Type: **Normal - Flying

**Species: **Tiny Pigeon

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Mamepato

**Description: **Pidove is an obscenely common Pokémon both in the wild and within cities, to the point where they are considered a nuisance by many. They have lived alongside humans for decades, and now they are very accustomed to human life. Over the years, two specific sub-species have formed from the original Pidove species; one is the domesticated sub-species, and the other is a wild sub-species. This entry will focus on domesticated ones, but will compare to wild ones as well.

The Domestic sub-species of Pidove has successfully integrated into human society and fitted nicely into the human niche. An ecological niche describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors. Pidove has mastered the art of adaptability and learnt just exactly how they can survive in such a diverse habitat like a human city. They are most prolific in Central Castelia City, where flocks of up to 200 individual birds have been reported.

They loiter around open areas such as parks and plazas in the search of crumbs and scraps of food that people have dropped or left behind; but many people give them extra morsels of food anyway, and this has taught the Pidove to approach and hassle humans for food. This can be very inconvenient, as Pidove sometimes make mistakes discerning whether someone is feeding them, or eating for themselves. There was a recent news report that a businessman was swamped by a flock of Pidove and had his sandwich stolen as he rested at a Plaza for lunch. While they don't cause any physical harm, things like these are irritating and cause many people to dislike these Tiny Pigeon Pokémon.

After finding food they fly back to their nests, usually found within lofts, attics, rooftops or even crevices on the sides of buildings. Here they feed their young, or interact playfully with each other or any Pokémon sharing their home with them. When they need to bathe they fly down into fountains or lakes and thoroughly splash around to get all the grease and filth of humans off of themselves. Pidove are a very hygienic species and are very insistent on remaining clean. During the drought of twenty years ago, Pidove could be seen bathing in cups of water!

This sub-species of Pidove is very friendly and hop up to humans without a second thought. This, matched with the fact that they are normally a weak Pokémon, means they are very easy to catch and make a good member for a beginning trainer's team.

Wild Pidove have stayed far away from human society and lack the adaptability and social skills of their civil brethren. They stay in large flocks and attack any humans or Pokémon that disturb their nest; they are also much more aggressive and fight anyone who challenges then, a huge difference to the docile Domestic Pidove.

**Personality: **Even though they have great survival instincts and adaptability they are a very unintelligent species of Pokémon; their IQ is remarkably lower than most species of Pokémon. This is because they rely solely on instincts and tactics passed down to them from ancestral family. The do not think about themselves very often, because they are a flock Pokémon and as a result they put the priority of the flock before their own personal needs. This means they make fantastic team members as they always work alongside fellow Pokémon in battle.

Due to their lack of intelligence, they often have trouble understanding commands given to them by their trainers. They either mistake the command for another one and perform the wrong move, or simply do not perceive your words for a command at all and stand there idly. This is extremely annoying and dangerous, as Pidove's defences are rather flawed, and one direct hit can take them out if they aren't paying attention.

As stupid as they are, Pidove are still a very kind and friendly species of Pokémon. They never fight or squabble, and will not complain if their opinion clashes with the general opinion of your team. They always know how to coexist with everyone else and reach a common goal.

**Lifespan: **An unevolved Pidove has a dishearteningly short lifespan, reach 8 – 12 years of age. However it is very easy for Pidove to evolve, so most of them have their lifespan extended considerably upon evolution.

**Diet: **Pidove are accustomed to eating human food, and often pass up natural foods such as berries for crumbs of cake and biscuits. Even so, they will eat wild foods if they are unable to locate any man-made foodstuffs. They prefer bland foods such as bread and rice, so feeding them isn't really an issue. Don't give them anything overly sugary or spicy, as their small body might not be able to handle such strong foods.

**How To Bond: **A Pidove submits its will to the leader of the flock. And now that you have caught it, your Pokémon are the flock and you are the leader. This means that Pidove will never question what you have to say, and will gladly follow any commands given to it, even if it fails to understand them. As a result, very little bonding is required for this simple little bird. If you want it to truly like you however, as any good trainer would, you need to allow it to keep some degree of freedom. Give it a few hours each day out of its pokeball to soar the skies, and let it bathe itself at least three times a day. You might have to stop for lunch at a lake or other water body in order for this to occur.

A Pidove will become more competent at understanding your commands if it is familiar with both you and the specific commands. So it is a good idea to spend some time holding mock battles and teaching Pidove all of the commands for its various attacks and moves.

**Battling: **Pidove are not very skilled battlers as they are weak, unintelligent and have frail bodies. It is suggested that you use them to fight only weak wild Pokémon, until they evolve into Tranquill and develop far better fighting skills. Even so, with some intense training a Pidove can prove competent on the battle field. Since they are so defensively weak, you need to focus on improving Pidove's speed an evasion, so it can dodge any moves the opponent plans on using. Another strategy is to simply nullify or weaken the opponent's attacks until they simply don't do as much damage.

Feather Dance is the Signature Move of the Pidove family, and it meets this quota perfectly. This move lowers the foe's attack by two levels, giving Pidove a chance of weathering their attacks. Tailwind is another great move, as it doubles the speed of _all _your Pokémon for a short amount of time. If these are used in conjunction, Pidove can actually prove to be a serious threat!

Offensively, Air Slash is Pidove's strongest move, but keep in mind that it is a Flying type move, not a Normal type one. It also has a fair chance of making the foe flinch, giving Pidove the chance to deal more damage.

But you must always remember that Pidove has a lot of trouble understanding its trainer's commands. Even if you have devised the most ingenious strategies, don't be surprised if you lose several battles simply because Pidove couldn't understand what you were saying. Many people become angry and release their Pidove thinking it is a useless Pokémon, but it is actually the trainer's fault. Sticking to simpler tactics will make it easier to communicate with Pidove and work more efficiently. Save the clever tactics for when Pidove evolves.

As a dual Normal – Flying type, Pidove has a slew of weaknesses and immunities, so some prior knowledge is required before sending it out to battle. It has a wonderful immunity to both Ground and Ghost types, keeping it safe from stupidly powerful attacks like Earthquakes, and status inflicting moves used by Ghosts. Additionally, it has resistances to both Bug and Grass types, which are both common. Overall, Pidove has a lot of great typing defences that it can out to good use.

However, it has a crippling weakness to Rock moves, a simple Rock Slide will have Pidove out for the count straight away, Electric and Ice are the other two weaknesses that it has. Moves of these three types are very common and are wielded by a variety of Pokémon, including Ground types. You need to be very wary of your foe's typing when sending Pidove out to battle.

**With Fellow Pokémon:** Pidove are an experienced flock Pokémon, so they will do anything to coexist peacefully within your team. They will blindly follow the general opinion, and agree with whatever anyone has to say. Because of this, most of your Pokémon will simply accept Pidove. Since it does not make itself very prominent, it will probably fade into the background and as a result no one may actually befriend Pidove, but they will accept its presence regardless.

They are suspicious of newcomers into the flock however, and will instinctively try to shoo away any new teammates. They will also sometimes steal food from other Pokémon, so try and discourage these behaviours quickly.

**Warnings: **Be prepared to have your commands occasionally forgotten or ignored, so have another strong Pokémon in reserve should Pidove find itself in danger.

**Summary: **It is a rather incompetent and useless Pokémon, and many people catch it only to release it hours later. But Pidove can make itself useful on a team if given the opportunity, and as its final evolved form is very powerful, it is better to catch a Pidove now and patiently evolve it up until it becomes the great Pokémon it can become.

**Next Time… Number 026 Tranquill!**

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**A/N: In order to make this entry realistic, I did a little research into ecological niches and adaptability. Upon completion of my research, I felt a little enlightened and as a result this chapter is a little… Scientific. I'm sorry to anyone who was bored by this chapter. Thanks to Rastan for the suggestions regarding Pidove, as it really helped in making this chapter interesting.**

**On an unrelated note, I am now one sixth of the way through! The next milestone is Scolipede, who is number 051 and one third of the way. Looking back, 26 Pokémon isn't very many… I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the Unova dex…**

**Fun Facts: Since Unova was designed with America (New York) in particular, Pidove was made to accommodate that. Pidove is based on Pigeons and Doves, if you couldn't already tell.**


	30. 026 Tranquill

**Number: **# 026

**Type: **Normal - Flying

**Species: **Wild Pigeon

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Hatoboh

**Description: **Tranquill is no longer the dopey, submissive bird it once was. It is still a team member that cooperates, but it stands for its own ideas and opinions now. It has become far more intelligent through evolution and understands its trainer's commands with ease, just like any other Pokémon.

Once a city-dwelling Pidove has evolved into Tranquill, it flies far away from civilization and joins its wild brethren deep within the forest, away from prying human eyes. There is no solid data to explain why they exile themselves after evolving, but we believe it is because they can no longer adapt and survive in a hustling place such as a human city, so in order to live they flee and return to their natural habitat, a peaceful forest. These forest nests are an extremely rare sight, as a Tranquill put first priority on hiding themselves from predators and any humans wanting to catch them. It is unknown why Tranquill are so insistent on hiding themselves from humans, especially when they lived so well alongside us as a Pidove. Even though they hide away, and attack any humans who approach their nest, they seem to harbour no ill will, and in some cases have been seen guiding children out of the forest. Upon being spotted by an adult human, they kick up a huge Gust of dust and vanish.

Tranquill sightings were once amazingly rare, as humans never ventured into the thick forests in which the Tranquill resided. However, with the tools that have been designed over the years, we can now travel further into previously unexplored areas and find things that were previously hidden away. It seems that most Tranquill reside at Pinwheel Forest, as made evident by not only encounters with the actual Pokémon, but discoveries of nests and signs of life. Upon venturing this far into the forest, there have also been traces of evidence implying the legendary Pokémon Virizion has been nearby.

Due to their rarity and unkind disposition they make a difficult catch, and it is suggested that you catch a Pidove and train it up rather than disturb these secret birds. They have a reason for hiding, so it is best that you leave them be.

Alternately, if you did indeed evolve your Pidove into Tranquill, then it will behave slightly different than a wild one. It will stay with you rather than fly off, and will continue to follow your orders with pleasure. We believe that because they have grown so close to you over your time together, they aren't concerned with whatever upsets all the wild Tranquil.

Finally, Tranquill have the amazing ability to return to their trainer, no matter how far away you go. Even if you moved all the way to Kanto and left Tranquill behind, you would certainly find it on your doorstep a few days later. It would probably kick your rear for leaving behind too… We have yet to discern how exactly Tranquill can do this; although we believe it is either a psychic ability, or through sheer instinct.

**Personality: **Tranquill's personality depends entirely on whether you raised it as a Pidove or somehow caught it as a wild one.

If you caught it as a Pidove, it will be very devoted and care deeply for you, and as a result be rather protective and affectionate. This is because Tranquill itself is aware of just how weak and stupid it was as a Pidove, and how much stronger and smarter it has become thanks to you. They make a great scout, since they can search the entire area and return to you without fail. If you fall into danger or injure yourself, Tranquill can lead other people back to rescue you. Tranquill now voices its own opinions now, even if they clash against the common beliefs of the flock. (Your team) However, it still prioritises the safety and convenience of the flock before its own needs, and will act accordingly.

A wild Tranquill will act haughty initially, but since it has little chance of resisting, it will eventually settle down and accept you as the flock leader. Even the most defiant and arrogant Tranquil understands that it needs a flock in order to survive, so just like it's civil counterpart it will set aside its own issues to coexist peacefully within your flock.

Naturally, they are a peaceful type of Pokémon that avoid fighting, and only engage in battle if their home has been invaded, or their flock needs defending.

**Lifespan: **As with most bird-like Pokémon, Tranquill live short lives; they only to be about 12 – 18 years of age before dying of natural causes. However, a Tranquill that has been separated from its flock will quickly die, as they are not accustomed to living independently.

**Diet: **They no longer eat human foods, preferring more natural edibles found within their habitat. This includes Berries and nuts, but they will also eat small Bug Pokémon such as Sewaddle if driven to starvation. They feel will about eating another Pokémon, though.

**How To Bond: **Tranquill aren't the type of Pokémon to require much bonding. Since they happily follow any orders you give (this may take a few days if your Tranquill was wild) you won't come across any disagreements. But obeying a master and liking a master are two different things, and if you bully Tranquill around too much it will lash out and search for a new flock. To keep its faith in you, give it plenty of time outside of its pokeball. It will probably want to gather its own food and bathe itself, but it will appreciate being offered tasty berries. Allow it to express its own thoughts and have turns at doing things its own way; this will convince Tranquill that you rule with a free and kind hand.

**Battling:** As a normally passive Pokémon, convincing Tranquill to engage in fights can be a little tricky. It will fight back without question if you are attacked by wild Pokémon, as it will fight any opponent to defend the flock. But they see competitive battling as pointless and sometimes cruel, and may begin to dislike you if you constantly force it into unneeded battles. To counter this, show Tranquil how the money you earn from victories buys supplies for the flock, so Tranquill can realise that battling is indirectly supportive of the flock.

Even though it is much stronger than its Pidove form, it still has noticeably weak defences. Tranquill's battle strategy focuses on evading enemy attacks with its high speed and then hitting hard with its own high attack. It is more competent at this tactic than it was as a Pidove.

Unfortunately, Tranquill cannot learn any extra moves from a Pidove, so it's movepool remains the same unless altered with TMs. To make this even worse, it cannot possibly learn _any_ moves naturally or through TMs to counter its three weaknesses Ground, Electric and Ice. The only exception to this is Steel Wing, a Steel type move that can counter both Rock and Ice types; but this move can only be learnt if Tranquil's father is a Skarmory, and I highly doubt you would purposely breed a Skarmory with an Unfezant with the sole intention of getting a Tranquill that can learn Steel Wing.

As expected of a bird Pokémon Tranquill can bear your weight and fly you to different locations, opening up a whole broad spectrum of travelling options. However, it is illegal to fly on your Pokémon unless it has been taught the HM Fly. This HM gives Tranquil the skills to safely carry a passenger around, and it is extremely risky to attempt to fly on a Pokémon without it. I highly advise that you take the time to find or buy this HM first; otherwise you could face a hefty fine, serious injury, or even death. Remember, if you die you leave your Pokémon behind with no one to guide them, is that what you want?

Oh, and on a last note, don't send Tranquill out into battle in a cave. That would be a very silly thing to do.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Tranquill are an excellent team player and can easily integrate into almost any Pokémon team. They use teamwork and negations to resolves issues both internal and external to the group, and make great role models for young Pokémon.

They look out for younger Pokémon, and will swiftly pull them out of any danger. As a result Tranquill are quite popular with the youngsters. Older Pokémon will probably recognise Tranquill's passive personality for better or for worse. Most Pokémon will be grateful for having a cooperative, sensible Pokémon on the team. However, some crueller Pokémon, usually of the Dark and Ghost types, will bully Tranquill around and abuse its patience. Tranquil will put up for it for a while, but will soon retaliate if justice isn't served. Inform Tranquil that it can tell you whenever another Pokémon is mean to it, and warn any potential troublemakers that they will be punished for being mean.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Tranquill is a useful and helpful Pokémon that will lend a wing whenever you need it. It will obey all your commands intelligently and with precision, and be able to rescue you should you fall into danger. They are rather lacking in the battlefield, but make up for it with all the other uses they have. They are also low maintenance and have few demands.

**Next Time… Number 027 Unfezant!**

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**A/N: I did a little better than what I thought I would. I thought it would be hard since Tranquil is just a larger version of Pidove and I would have a hard time setting it apart, but it had enough potential to work with in its pokedex entries that I made it through. Now I just have to get past Unfezant and then I can have a fun time with Blitzle! **

**Fun Facts: Tranquil is largely based on a dove, as its peaceful nature can testify. It is also based on a homing pigeon, although I feel that there was already a bird Pokémon based on that… It also slightly resembles a road runner. Meep! Meep!**


	31. 027 Unfezant

**Number: **# 027

**Type: **Normal - Flying

**Species: **Proud

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Kenhallow

**Description: **This Pokémon is very proud of itself upon reaching its final form, even though evolving from a Pidove all the way into an Unfezant requires little effort. You should be proud too; reaching a final form is a great achievement and milestone for any Pokémon and trainer, no matter how easy it is!

If you haven't figured out its gender yet, you certainly will know it now! Unfezant is one of three Unova Pokémon species to have a gender difference, or sexual dimorphism as it is otherwise known. The other two species to have a physical difference relative to gender is Frillish and Jellicent.

The difference in appearance is very evident; this can be troublesome if an opponent knows Attract. Males have an extravagant mask-like wattle covering its face, with a green underside. The females lack the sporty mask and have a brown underside instead of green. But the differences are not physical only; females have far better flying skills than any males hope to gain. This occurs because females have slender bones and thinner wings, allowing them to fly faster and with agility. This does not mean that males are incompetent, no, no. Their flying skills are the same as any other airborne Pokémon; females are simply elitists when it comes to that particular talent.

While Pidove and Tranquill are both flock Pokémon that stick very close together, Unfezant are independent creatures that keep to themselves, although they sometimes live in groups of three to four in survival is difficult. Wild ones leave their secret forest homes to soar across the skies of Unova freely, living life at their own pace.

**Personality: **As their species' name makes evident, they are a very prideful and eloquent Pokémon. They always ensure that their appearance is elegant and charming, even when no one is actually looking. They can be rather uppity, but nowhere near as uppity as Serperior; instead, they are wise and benevolent Pokémon.

But just like their previous form Tranquill, Unfezant's personality depends entirely on whether it evolved in your care, or you captured it straight from the wild.

Wild ones no longer keep to a flock, and as a result have no leader to listen to. That means that they won't consider you their leader upon capture, and will most likely refuse to cooperate. They are a lot more competitive than their previous forms too, and actually enjoy battles. With time, its heart will soften and it will come to like its trainer, but not as much as a domestic Unfezant…

Domesticated Unfezant are on the complete opposite of the spectrum; they wholeheartedly love their trainer as much as a Pokémon could, and faithfully stick to their trainer's side without a falter in faith. They are extremely dedicated to their trainer, and they refuse to love or even _like_ any other creature, Pokémon or human. While we have yet to run psychology reports, we believe that Unfezant purposely 'subdues' the part of their brain that creates and develops feeling such as love, so they can solely care for their trainer. There are very few Pokémon across the entire world that are this dedicated to their trainers, so you should be very grateful indeed.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately if you're really _really_ into birds) Unfezant frequently fall in love with their trainer, since they hold them in such high regard; and this is worsened due to Unfezant only having compassion for their trainer. While they are usually respectful, they may try to court you through a variety of techniques. Males try to court their trainer by flaunting their wattles in a suggestive way, whereas females try and build nests to fit their trainer into. I read a hilarious new report the other day about how a man woke up one morning to find his bedroom filled to the brim with twigs and sticks as his doting Unfezant built a nest around his bed!

This also means Unfezant can quickly become jealous if you bond closely with any other Pokémon, as they feel as though they are being outcompeted. Many fights have occurred between Unfezant and starter Pokémon as they battle for the affection of their poor, witless trainer.

**Lifespan:** As with the majority of bird Pokémon, Unfezant don't live for very long, this is horribly sad since they are such devoted, loving Pokémon. On average they last 18 -24 years of age before passing on.

**Diet: ** They eat mainly berries and nuts, although they will obediently eat most foods provided. They have delicate stomachs, so don't feed them anything that is has overly strong flavours. If they have eaten something bad, they can regurgitate it back up.

**How To Bond: **Domesticated Unfezant do not need to develop their bond with you any further, they love you and only you, and will only do things that please you, often forgetting themselves in the process. But you shouldn't take such generous affection lightly, if you coldheartedly ignore Unfezant, its brittle heart will break, it will become severely depressed, and will most likely die. Remind it frequently that you care for it, and set aside some time for the two of you.

Wild Unfezant are a different story. They won't respect you at first and will try to resist your authority, causing some conflict. To counter this, you need to remind Unfezant that you are the hand that feeds, and the hand that rules. When it realises that it is in no position to resist, it will begrudgingly submit to you. After that, give it plenty of free time and tasty food to let it warm up to you. Once its trust is gained, spend time together, and let Unfezant participate in some heated battles.

**Battling: **Unfezant are different from their pre-evolved forms in the fact that they love battling. They always cry shrilly out to the enemy to threaten them, and the males flamboyantly flaunt their mask to intimidate them as well.

Unfezant's strategy, weaknesses and moves all remain the same from as a Tranquil, or even a Pidove. Excluding Pokémon evolved via Elemental Stones, it is a rare case for a Pokémon to be unable to learn any new moves upon evolution, so it seems the Pidove family ran out of luck in this aspect. Nevertheless, they are incredibly fast (even moreso for the females) and are heavy hitters, anything with a weakness to Flying won't last long at all. This Pokémon excels aerial combat, so always try to divert battles into the sky. You should never send Unfezant into battle in a cramped area such as a cave, because Unfezant simply won't be able to move and put its speed to use.

Detect can pull you out of tricky situations if required, and this works well in tandem with Feather Dance. Sky Attack will forever and always be the best offensive move and it is even more effective when used after Tailwind, which will boost Unfezant's speed to ridiculous heights.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **They are a normally kind and friendly Pokémon, albeit a little haughty. So long as your Pokémon don't embarrass or inconvenience Unfezant, it should have no problem interacting with all your other Pokémon at all. However, since they care for their trainer so deeply, they can become tremendously jealous, to the point where they scare off other Pokémon so they can have you for themselves. You wouldn't believe how many fights have occurred between Starters (especially Serperior) and Unfezant over this matter.

So long as you share your time equally among your Pokémon, and teach any naughty ones to behave around Unfezant, things should go just fine.

**Warnings: **None at all.

**Summary: **Unfezant is an exponentially devoted Pokémon, sometimes even more than starter Pokémon. They faithfully live by your side, awaiting any commands you wish to give. They will do their absolute best to protect you from any danger, and you can rely on them even when no one else will. If they weren't so stupid as a Pidove, and they didn't live for such a short time, they would make a fantastic starter Pokémon themselves.

**Next Time… Number 028 Blitzle!**

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**A/N: Given that Unfezant has so few defining traits besides being overly loving and having a gender difference, it was hard to be creative with this one. I felt like I overdid the whole 'Unfezant falling for trainer' thing, but given that the pokedex entries insist on how devoted Unfezant are to their trainers, I felt that it was appropriate.**

**I've been waiting a long time to write about Blitzle (since Pansage!) but I don't actually have any specific ideas for it. But since I'm a genius ( joking, joking) I'll come up with something.**

**Fun Facts: Beside the Frillish family, Unfezant is the only Pokémon in Unova with a gender difference. It is also the only Unova Pokémon to have a name starting with 'U'. Even though the pokedex entries insist that females are superior, their stats are exactly the same as males.**

**While its pre-evolutions resemble wild pigeons, Unfezant most closely resembles a gamebird, such as a pheasant.**

**Its Japanese name 'Kenhallow' is an awesome name. Just saying.**


	32. 028 Blitzle

**Number: **# 028

**Type: **Electric

**Species: **Electrified

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Shimama

**Description: **'Electrified' may sound like a very silly species name, but it describes this trendy Pokémon spot on!

Blitzle are a pure Electric type and as such they fight mostly with Electric attacks; but due to their infantile biology they are unable to produce electricity by themselves. Since Electric attacks require electricity, this makes then incapable of wielding any of their attacks. While this species has only a few select predators, their life is in danger if they are unable to defend themselves.

Since they cannot obtain their own electricity they turn to nature for aid; Blitzle can acquire electricity by exposing themselves to thunderstorms. The spiky white mane on their head isn't just a stylish fashion statement; it also functions as a lightning rod. These manes strongly attract electricity, to the point where any nearby thunderclouds are sure to target them head on. When struck by lightning, their conductive mane draws all the power into Blitzle and distributes it all throughout the body, storing in in special organs that act like rechargeable batteries, storing the power for later use. Their hooves act like a ground, dispersing any unneeded electricity back into the ground, to prevent the Blitzle from being hurt.

Blitzle live in herds of 20 – 60 members, led by 4 – 8 Zebstrika. They use the strength of numbers to defend themselves, so catching a single Blitzle is actually a very difficult challenge to complete. These large herds usually live within open, grassy areas such as plains, fields, savannah and scrublands; because the open sky are allows them to be easily struck by lightning, and the plentiful grass keeps them well fed.

They spend their whole life chasing after lighting storms, so their habitat quickly changes if need be. While they usually stick to the places mentioned above, they will go literally anywhere to gain energy if they have had a recent shortage in power. They have even been known to stampede through small towns in their relentless search for power. Sometimes they share their energy by electrocuting each other with moves like Shock Wave.

They usually stay away from humans, but are very frequently seen in the spring and summer months, where storms are the most common. If you really want to catch one, this is your best opportunity. Alternately, they are almost never seen in the winter months, due to their hate for the cold.

Since you probably won't want to constantly chase after storms just to charge your Blitzle, you can buy various items to serve the same purpose. They range from small solar powered batteries with jumper cables, to machines that convert the energy produced from pedalling on a bike into electricity. If you want a strong Blitzle, you should invest in at least one of these devices. Alternately, you can just get another one of your Electric Pokémon to zap Blitzle for you.

Much like how people used to communicate through Morse code hundreds of years ago, Blitzle communicate through flashing their manes in a specific rhythm and frequency. These messages are simple, and are mainly reserved for communication over long distances, or for expression of strong emotions. This is because they can talk to other Pokémon just like any other species can.

Unfortunately, Pokémon poachers sometimes kidnap these creatures and lock them away in places known as 'Power Farms'. These farms consist of groups of Blitzle locked away in small sheds, forced to collect electricity for their captors. This is a very cruel practise and we are doing our best to stop it, and you can help too. If you see a truck transporting lots of distressed Blitzle, report it to the police immediately.

**Personality: **Blitzle have a bright and energetic personality, as expected of a young Electric type. They can barely keep still and spend a lot of time racing around, leaping and cantering everywhere. They are very impatient and do not like being held still, and can become very stressed and agitated if unable to move about freely. A stressed Blitzle is not a good thing, as they unconsciously give off small sparks of electricity, zapping anyone nearby. While not directly dangerous to your health, they can start fires if in a dry area, or cause damage if nearby electronics.

Some people get the impression that Blitzle are a very rude and arrogant Pokémon, but this is not true. They are straightforward and earnest, and do not beat around the bush. When they want something, they tell you. When they're scared of something, they tell you. When they're angry, they tell you; in a violent way too.

Blitzle have a temper, but it is nowhere near as bad as a Simisear, or Emboar. It's more of an exaggerated outburst than anything, and they only act that when unsatisfied with you. They aren't ones to hold grudges however, and will let go of past grievances.

**Lifespan: **They are very enduring and thus they live for an unusually long time for an unevolved Pokémon, reaching about 30 – 50 years of age. Blitzle that are deprived of electricity will live a shorter life.

**Diet: **Being a pure herbivore Blitzle usually lives off of grass, either lush or dry. This makes feeding it a rather trivial matter. However, it will strongly appreciate being fed Pokémon pellets and berries, since it would not normally eat them. You should always carry around some extra food anyway, in the event that there is no grass for Blitzle to eat.

**How To Bond: **It won't trust you when you have first caught it, so you need to tread lightly and act kindly, otherwise it will race off into the distance, never to be seen again unless you have an even quicker Pokémon. Since they are accustomed to following a leader, setting yourself up as such an authority is your first goal. Better yet, have a Zebstrika aside you, if you are fortunate enough to have caught one.

They are a playful species, so offering to play around and challenge them to races is a great way to make them warm up to you. Whenever you are in the wild, you should let it out of its ball. It won't tolerate being held within it for a very long time. For safety, you should put it away when entering caves, as Blitzle has a weakness to Ground types. Try and keep it contained when traveling through large cities as well, as Blitzle may impatiently race through all the crowds and cause some big trouble for you.

Feed it lots of electricity to power it up, and if there is a storm brewing nearby, go to it. If Blitzle feels that it is missing out on some potential electricity, it may start to resent you.

Overall, treat it nicely and let it live with freedom. When it feels that it is not being restricted, it will come running back to you. Once they are loyal, they not leave their trainer for any reason.

**Battling: **It's quite obvious that Blitzle are a very fast Pokémon. Their attacks don't pack much of a punch until they evolve, so your focus is to get in as many hits as possible. Blitzle can use spare electricity to increase its own speed, so charging it up before battle is a rewarded effort.

Charge is a useful status move, as it charges up a concentrated amount of energy to be used for your next electric attack, increasing the power of it. This can make the normally average Shock Wave into a decent attack. Thunder Wave inflicts Paralysis, which will drastically slow the opponent down and make it easier for Blitzle to get extra hits onto it. Spark does damage and can also inflict paralysis, but it simply isn't as efficient.

Blitzle's best move by far is Flame Charge. While it doesn't not hit with STAB like the other attacks, it increases Blitzle's speed fairly, and speed is what you want to go for.

Environmentally, Blitzle is pretty durable. It only has one weakness to ground, so be wary of caves or deserts. Otherwise Blitzle can work in most places, but it's speed will be inhibited by rocky or mountainous terrain.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Blitzle are a herd Pokémon, so they try their best to coexist with other Pokémon. But they still refuse to cooperate if they disagree with whatever others have to say, and can sometimes start fights. Some more docile Pokémon may be put off by Blitzle's frank behaviour, so you may have to forewarn Blitzle to act a bit more calmly.

They have a deep fear of Ground type Pokémon, most particularly the Drilbur and Sandile families. This is understandable as Ground is Blitzle's only weakness, and since Ground types are fully immune to Electric attacks, Blitzle cannot do anything to defend itself.

Due to this, Blitzle will immediately panic and either flee or try to fight them, resulting in a huge mess. To counter this, warn your Ground types beforehand to act nicely. Always warn Blitzle beforehand that you have Ground types, otherwise it will panic no matter how welcoming they are. When meeting for the first time, hold the event in a homely, safe place with all of your other Pokémon around. Try to have a powerful Pokémon such as Serperior beside you in case things get rough. If everyone acts kindly, Blitzle may begin to trust them.

**Warnings: **Blitzle sends off small sparks when stressed or angered, and while these won't hurt you directly, they can cause fires or damage electrical equipment.

**Summary: **Blitzle is a speedy and battle-ready Pokémon that can sometimes be a bit tough to handle, but when it evolves it will certainly pay off. An improperly trained Zebstrika can be a handful however, so make sure to set Blitzle in its place quickly.

**Next Time… Number 029 Zebstrika!**

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**A/N: Before starting this chapter, I had to do a little research into thunderstorms and electrical circuits. But I did it so I wouldn't make any factual errors when talking about all the electric-related science. I also misspelled Blitzle quite a few times (I did fix them though!), but I'd like to see you to repeatedly type Blitzle without making a mistake.**

**Isn't Blitzle adorable? Sure it looks a bit gawky with its stubby legs and nose, but I think that adds to its cuteness. Electric types are my favourite too, so Blitzle soon became a dedicated member on my team in Pokémon White.**

**A couple of people have sent me PMs asking why I write at least 1000 words per chapter (Excluding Celebrity Spotlights). I always write at least 1000 words because I feel that if it is any shorter, the reader will be left unsatisfied and would be unable to really get into the story. But now I feel as though I'm making them too big and boring the reader… As of now Blitzle has the largest entry, although I'm making it bigger by typing this, aren't I?**

**Fun Facts: Blitzle has the lowest Special Defence stat of all Electric Pokémon. Blitzle is based on a Zebra foal (no way!) but it may also be based on two of Helios's steeds that pulled his chariot, Bronte and Sterope, which are the Greek thunder and lightning.**


	33. Celebrity Spotlight - Buggy Artist Burgh

**A/N: This celebrity spotlight is two chapters ahead, but that's because the last celebrity spotlight was two chapters late, so I'm just putting everything back into order.**

**Name: **Burgh

**Japanese Name: **Arty

**Typing Specialty: **Bug

**Gender: **Male

**Description: **If you ever hear on the news a story about an ambiguously gay man wearing hippy clothing prancing with Bug Pokémon in Castelia Square, this is the man to blame.

This bizarre fellow is the Gym Leader for Castelia City, and while he does a fantastic job, some people question whether or not it was a good idea to give him the position. His loves are battling, Pokémon (most particularly of the Bug type) and art. Whenever he is not battling challengers in the gym or training up his Pokémon, he is making art, getting inspiration for art, or leaping about Pinwheel forest with all the Bug Pokémon.

He was born in Nacrene City, a place that is very well known for its stylish art and vibrant colours. Maybe that's why he is so into art. He often comes to Nacrene City to draw inspiration from the eccentric landscape and people, usually when he has something he calls 'artist's block'. He also pokes around at Nacrene Museum, usually to point out all of his paintings to unwary visitors; but he also visits his friend and ex-Gym Leader Lenora, the archaeologist with backbone.

The other place he is frequently seen at is Pinwheel Forest, where Bug Pokémon are bountiful. Apparently all of the local Pokémon are familiar with him and come out to play joyfully whenever they see him entering the forest. It seems he brings them toys to play with as well.

A few years ago he joined in on the scuffle at the Team Plasma castle; reportedly he acted a whole lot tougher than he normally does.

**Personality: **He's a total oddball if you hadn't yet figured out, but he is also a very nice person. He personally congratulates everyone who overcomes him in battle. Alternately, he is sympathetic to whoever loses, and encourages them to retry at a later time.

He is very optimistic and energetic, leaping at any chance to battle, or express his artistic talent. Although this means he can get pretty worked up over things some people might not even notice. He has his own peculiar flare that makes him stand out among normal people, but given the way he dresses, he stands out anyway.

Since he has such a deep love for Bug type Pokémon (something that a lot of people like to make fun of) he becomes very upset if someone remarks that they don't like Bug Pokémon. He may even stomp over there and challenge them to a battle, so he may show them 'the true beauty' of Bug types. He takes these battles very seriously, perhaps even more than a gym battle.

**Battling: **As expected of a bugphile, he fights solely with Bug Pokémon. Bug types are weak to Fire, Flying and Rock, so make sure to have at least one Pokémon of those types. Fire Pokémon are most highly suggested, as two of his Pokémon take quadruple damage from those attacks.

Leavanny is his flagship Pokémon and is always first to go out into battle. Its String Shot is you biggest concern, as it uses this move to immobilize its opponent before finishing them off with Razor Leaf. Fire will be able to burn up any string that Leavanny sends your way. When Leavanny has fallen, Swadloon is sent out. Swadloon is the unevolved form of Leavanny and is slightly weaker, but it is still a cut above any normal Pokémon. Swadloon's technique is exactly the same as Leavanny's, although it will use Protect is if anticipates a counter attack.

Burgh's final Pokémon is Dwebble, a different kind of bug. It resists Fire type moves and can deal huge damage in return, so now is the time to switch in any Rock or Water type Pokémon you have in reserve. It has some very strong defences, and can become a real monster if it has the opportunity to use Rock Polish, a move which sharply raises its speed. You need to strike it down before it has the opportunity to use this move, otherwise you might not get the chance. Its strongest move is Smack Down, which can deal big damage to any Pokémon within the air.

**With Pokémon: **Burgh cares for all Pokémon, but he has a fanatic love for everything Bug type! He treats his own Pokémon like family, once he even referred to his Leavanny as his husband. This was all in jest, of course. He thinks that everyone in the world should know just how wonderful Bug Pokémon are, and will go to great lengths to prove it.

He seems to spend lots of quality time with them, letting them join in on creating art and going on adventures. In response his Pokémon care for him, and get very angry if anyone questions Burgh's personality or dress.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Elesa!**

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**A/N: Just a note, I wasn't trying to portray Burgh in a negative way. He is canonically weird, and since I am expanding on canon, that's how it ended up. Bug types are my least favourite, given that I don't like bugs in real life. But Joltik is probably the most adorable thing that could ever possibly exist!**

**Someone asked me why I do these Celebrity Spotlights. I do them because they let me take a break from writing about Pokémon, and lets me write in a much more light-hearted manner. This way I feel refreshed when I return to writing about the Pokémon. Since they are short and easy to write, they are quickly completed too, which means I can update another chapter and bump the story back to the top! Shameless self-advertising, I know. It's not annoying my followers, is it?**

**Fun Facts: Burgh is the only retuning Gym Leader in Black2/White2 to not use a Pokémon from a different region.**


	34. 029 Zebstrika

**Number:** # 029

**Type: **Electric

**Species: **Thunderbolt

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Zebraika

**Description:** So you now have a Zebstrika. If you evolved it from a Blitzle, then congratulations! If you caught it directly from the wild… good luck on getting this beast under control.

Now that it has evolved it can produce its own electricity. Zebstrika's entire body is now one biological circuit board, full of varying parts all with the design to create, amplify and release electricity. It uses special organs fittingly called generators to convert energy stored within the body into electrical power. This electricity is sent all throughout the body to enhance bodily functions; and any extra energy is stored away in nodes located in the chest cavity, or released into the ground via the hooves.

It can gain energy from many different methods, the most notable being how they expose themselves to lighting storms. This is the most rewarding way, as one bolt of lightning can contain _a billion volts_! That's enough power to keep a Zebstrika working at maximum efficiency for three weeks!

Alternately, they can purposely expose themselves to Electric attacks unleashed by friend and foe alike. Since they have a resistance to Electric attacks this will do them almost no harm at all, and will power them enough to unleash a counter attack. They can also sap energy from electrical appliances, but these attempts are used as a last resort because these items yield very little power, and are usually destroyed in the process. Special machines have been invented which can safely produce electricity for Zebstrika to absorb without anyone or anything getting harmed. Wild Zebstrika have been known to loiter around power plants and steal energy from the overhead power lines, much to the annoyance of plant workers.

Upon evolving most Zebstrika break away from the herd they once lived in and race across the land on their own. This is because they are now far more powerful and capable than their previous form, and with most Pokémon that receive much power upon evolution, they let it get to their heads. Wiser Zebstrika stay behind and protect the herd, allowing any elderly Zebstrika to resign from the wearisome position.

When a Zebstrika runs across a landscape at full speed, the sound of thunder can be heard. Many people believe that Zebstrika is summoning thunder or giving the illusion that it is; but both of these claims are false. In reality, the rapid pace of Zebstrika's running causes all the electricity in its body to charge up and then release, in the form of sonic shockwaves. These shockwaves are audible and are very loud, sounding remarkably just like real thunder, but you needn't be fooled by this. Zebstrika usually uses this to intimidate opponents by making them think it is much more powerful than it really is.

**Personality:** They have a very volatile attitude and are easily angered. When angered their mane shoots off many sparks, just like it did as a Blitzle; but these sparks are much stronger, and can cause minor burns.

A Zebstrika that was evolved from a Blitzle in your care will be far tamer than its wild counterpart, and will not let its temper get the best of it easily. Even though they are aware of their power and wish to show it to the whole world, they will patiently bite their tongue if you insist. But given their wild nature, they will only do this for so long…

They are a lot more serious than before and always act solemnly, even in light-hearted situations. This doesn't mean they are grumpy, no, no. They have simply forgotten hoe to look at things in a brighter perspective. It will be up to you to reteach them. As respectful as they may be, they will still readily become upset if you do not give them the attention and gratitude they deserve.

Wild Zebstrika are very difficult to handle and are not recommended for beginning or even intermediate trainers. This is because they will simply refuse to cooperate and will retaliate at the smallest attempt to obtain authority. They won't directly hurt you, but they will attack your Pokémon and then race off into the distance. Even when calmed, they can quickly burst into a violent temper over the slightest issue.

**Lifespan: **For a Pokémon such as Zebstrika, an individual's lifespan depends entirely on how frequently it gained energy, and by what amounts. Generally they live around 60 – 90 years of age, sometimes out living their trainer. But watching your trainer die is a very hard thing for a Pokémon to endure, and this may shorten their life considerably, especially if they already aging.

**Diet: **Wild Zebstrika eat only grasses in their natural habitat, and this can nourish them just fine. They still have a weak spot for berries, so this is one way to reach their otherwise stubborn heart. If you fed your Zebstrika tasty foods such as berries while it was a Blitzle, they it may become fussy and each only those types of foods, something that is rather inconvenient. They will revert back to foods such as grass if extremely hungry.

**How To Bond: **A wild Zebstrika is a very tough Pokémon to handle, and is within the 'most difficult Pokémon to train' category, up there alongside Simisear, Scolipede, Krookodile and Hydreigon. But in retrospect, Zebstrika is actually the least difficult out of all the aforementioned species and by a considerable amount too; although nothing and I mean _nothing_ is anywhere near as impossibly difficult to train as a Hydreigon.

First and foremost, a Zebstrika needs its freedom. But giving it too much freedom will result in it running away the first moment it can. To remedy this, spend your first nights in a large enclosed open area, where Zebstrika can roam freely but will be unable to escape. Over this period of time, offer it delicious berries to eat, and challenge it to battles. This may sound strange, but it is fine. Zebstrika are feisty and always accept a challenge, so beating them in battle will not only make it develop respect for you, but help train itself in battle too.

Unfortunately, not every Zebstrika will respond to kindness, so sometimes you simply have you overpower it with brute strength. That doesn't mean beating it into submission though! You simply have to show it that you're the boss, and you call the shots. A Zebstrika may be arrogant, but it will submit when it knows that it is beat. Although you may initially work together under regrettably tedious circumstances, Zebstrika will not resent you for it and will eventually come to like you. But remember, it is entirely up to your efforts to convince Zebstrika that you are a good person!

Domestic Zebstrika are far more docile and temperamental, and this is because they already have already bonded with you quite well. They still have a temper that you must watch out for though, so be sure to have some berries on hand to pacify it in the event that it does become upset. These fellows need free space and time to exercise too, although you can trust these guys to run around anywhere you wish.

A fully bonded Zebstrika is very devoted to their trainer, and can even become passionately affectionate. If left alone they won't fall in love with you, but you can change that if you desire… a closer relationship.

**Battling: **In terms of statistics, Zebstrika is an interesting mix between the Elemental Monkeys and the Pidove family. All three have the same style; use a combination of speed and high attack to overwhelm the opponent before they can deal any decent hits, but Zebstrika is a slight variation.

Zebstrika is slightly faster than both families, and its attack is stronger by a smidgeon. In return, its defences are even more fragile. But even so Zebstrika is no pushover, through sheer determination they can withstand powerful hits until their foe collapses. How well Zebstrika performs in battle depends entirely on how much electricity it has stored before the battle. Even when you are not anticipating a battle, you should charge your Zebstrika every day. It's better to be safer than sorry!

It keeps is sole weakness of Ground, which is a very commonly used as an attack type. Shuca berries severely reduce damage taken from a Ground attack, negating Zebstrika's only concern; although they are very rare and expensive. Normal Unova soil cannot support berry plants, so you will have to import some special Sinnoh-grade soil in order to grow them, if you want a steady supply.

This Pokémon works best in open areas, and usually suffers if trapped within a confined space such as a cave. The only exception of this is Chargestone Cave, where it is strongly implored that you fight there! The momentous amounts of stored electrical energy within that cave can make Zebstrika something of a god! Furthermore, most of the Pokémon here are Steel type and thus can deal very little damage to your already overpowered Pokémon! This place is heaven for any Zebstrika, so be warned that you may have trouble convincing it to leave.

Charge is a handy move learnt shortly after evolution. It strikes all nearby opponents and can inflict paralysis, so it can be used to get yourself out of a corner if need be. Be advised that it will strike you and your other Pokémon if they are too close, so think before you give the command for this attack.

Agility is probably the best move strategy-wise, as it raises speed by a great amount, making this already quick Pokémon into a blur. If you can hold the foe off long enough to get a couple of these in there, the battle is already won, believe me. And if you really want to rub salt into the wound, teach Zebstrika the TM Double Team, and then laugh in mirth as your foe screams in frustration. Of course, this can be negated if the enemy knows a move such as Haze, but moves like that are rare anyway.

Wild Charge is the strongest move that Zebstrika can naturally learn, and you will be grateful on the day that it finally does learn this wonderful move. With a high power rating, made ever stronger with STAB, this move can topple anything without a resistance, especially if you used Charge beforehand.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Wild Zebstrika are lone rangers, and have little interest in cooperating unless their life depends on it. Before Zebstrika even thinks about fitting in, you need to have enough authority over it to convince it to think otherwise. This is why dominating Zebstrika is your first priority. It will begrudgingly work alongside your Pokémon, but will punish any Pokémon that irritate it, so keep any young ones far way for the first few weeks. It will have great respect for any Pokémon stronger than it, so it's a good idea to have your strongest Pokémon out and about with you, to keep Zebstrika in its place. Your other Pokémon will probably dislike or even fear Zebstrika at first, but with enough time and cooperation, they will slowly warm up and start to include it in their daily lives. Cooperation is a two-way street, you know.

It once greatly feared Ground types, but now it simply hates them. It is not as weak as it once was, but it still is unable to counter any attacks throw in its direction by this specific type, and as such resents them due to its helplessness. Much like how a poor businessman would despise a loan shark. It's a wasted effort to try and get Zebstrika to play nicely with this type of Pokémon, and every attempt to get them to work together has resulted in disaster. You'll have to cut your losses at this point, I'm afraid.

**Warnings: **When angered they release sparks of electricity in all directions. In its previous form these would be harmless, but now they can inflict small burns, so keep your distance if this Pokémon becomes upset.

As with many beast-like Pokémon Zebstrika has a strong sex drive, and it will need some way to release this. If given time to itself in the forest at night, things should go fine; otherwise you will find that Zebstrika will become increasingly desperate to release its lust. Even though they are normally respectful, some trainers have woken in the middle of the night by being mounted by their desperate, lust-crazed Zebstrika. There have been no injuries reported, but with a Pokémon as large and powerful as Zebstrika, it's important that you don't let it get way with any funny business.

**Summary: **Zebstrika can be very tough if caught directly from the wild, so it is cautioned that catching a Blitzle and evolving it up is a much wiser idea. They are tough and can take town a lot of opponents, but you always need to watch their weaknesses carefully. Keeping them charged with sufficient electricity can be a real hassle if you can't afford any special charging equipment, so prepare yourself for a rough road.

As difficult and as temperamental as they can be, they are loyal once bonded with and will do everything in their power to fight for you. Overall, a high effort, high yield Pokémon.

**Next Time… Number 030 Roggenrola!**

* * *

**A/N: It's strange… when I started this chapter I had no idea what to write about, and I thought it was going to flop. But as I started writing, lots of ideas came to my head and I was able to write lots of stuff. I hope the same happens to Roggenrola, because I have no idea how I make a rock interesting to read about. This chapter is now the largest at over 2.4K words; but I'm concerned that's a bit too many. Sometimes it's better to be short and sweet, isn't it?**

**I'm aware of how icky the whole idea of being mounted by a Zebstrika sounds, so I apologize to anyone who was grossed out by that. But in reality animals do mount humans if deprived of sexual release, and since Zebstrika is such a beast-like Pokémon I thought it would fit in realistically. Sometimes being realistic means dealing with things you don't want to think about…**

**Fun Facts: Zebstrika shares the same species name with Electivire, and it is one of the few Pokémon to have a move (Thunderbolt) as its species name. It's name is a mix of Zebra and strike.**


	35. 030 Roggenrola

**A/N: Please help me! You see, Boldore evolves into Gigalith only when traded, but I have no idea how to logically and realistically explain this. If you have any logical ideas that make good sense, I would be very grateful to hear them. I will even give you a mention in the Author Note if it is implemented.**

* * *

**Number:** # 030

**Type: **Rock

**Species: **Mantle

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Dangoro

**Description: **Roggenrola is a very mysterious Pokémon that by all means should not be alive or even self-aware, yet its existence continues to defy scientific logic to this day.

A hundred years ago, a huge earthquake occurred while miners were digging through Twist Mountain. At the very base of the mountain the miners uncovered huge fissures, running deep down into the earth. But it wasn't the fissures that got them interested; it was the creatures crawling up out of them that did!

That's right, a hundred years ago when Clay's ancestors dug deep into Twist Mountain, they discovered and released the Roggenrola family. For a while, no one even realised that they were Pokémon, but after some were captured and returned to research laboratories it was revealed that they were indeed a new species in unusual Pokémon.

Technically, Roggenrola should not be alive. There are a few other Pokémon who defy biological logic, such as Klink and Trubbish, but the Roggenrola is the least comprehensible. Its body is formed deep within the mantle by conflicting pressures and cooling temperatures, and is composed of many different materials, including: obsidian, basalt, tachylite and various metallic compounds. Whenever they are struck, they give off a metallic sound, leading many initial scientists to conclude that they were Steel types. This is not the case, as Roggenrola are pure Rock types and behave as such. The metallic ringing is most likely sound reverberating around the confined space within Roggenrola, as this Pokémon does indeed contain traces of metal compounds; too may for us to count.

Roggenrola contains an energy core at the very center of its body. We have not been able to examine or experiment this energy, as we cannot open a Roggenrola to examine it without killing the Pokémon itself. When the Roggenrola dies, this energy core ceases to exist and fades away, leaving no trace behind.

Due to this, we believe that this energy core is the reason behind Roggenrola's inexplicable life. But we still have no idea how something so simple like an energy core can give a rock such as Roggenrola sentience and intelligence. Is the energy itself a sentient creature? Or does some sort of reaction within the core produce the by-product of life? This world is full of mysteries…

Some people mistake the yellow cavity on its 'face' to be an eye, but this is not correct, it is in fact an ear; although this is not fully correct either. In reality, it is a form of sonar. Since Roggenrola lacks any sort of sight or vision, it relies fully on this sonar to navigate and explore the world around it. Since the Woobat family also use sonar, this can cause conflicting sound waves, resulting in battles between the two confused species.

Roggenrola form communities of 40 – 80 individuals and hide away within the deeper sections of caves. Whenever a human enters a cave home to Roggenrola, they pick up the unusual frequencies and come to investigate. Many trainers mistake them for attackers and attempt to battle and catch one, something that is rather common.

**Personality: **It is difficult to analyse a rock's personality, so it has taken several years of close observance to form any sort of conclusion.

They keep mostly to themselves and hide away from other forms of life, but can running up in little droves whenever someone approaches their home. Most Pokémon would attack whenever a human gets that close to their home, but Roggenrola simply examine and even sometimes even try to play with humans. It seems that they are a very curious species that want to learn about everything interesting, and lack any sort of fear whatsoever. But since they live isolated lives, it is likely that they have not learnt about predators or hazardous enemies. They huddle together in clusters, and show great distress whenever one is snatched away. This is the only time they have displayed any sort of fear with human interaction in the wild.

Roggenrola are not stupid creatures, but they do seem to have a lack of self-preservation. They often follow people to the very edge of caves or even further, separating themselves from the rest of the group. The other Roggenrola become upset whenever a member of the community is lost, and run around in search of them.

After being captured, Roggenrola can be very disorientated by all of the new sound waves coming at it all at once. This is even more prolific in human settlements, where some Roggenrola have had seizures or become confused.

They seem to be a good willed species and tend closely to other members of their community. They like to play and prioritize the happiness of others before their own. It seems their isolation has protected them from the impurities in this world, and as a result are kind but naïve.

**Lifespan: **The natural death of a Roggenrola has never been witnessed. Excluding evolution, they show no signs of aging and continue to live on. We believe the only way for a Roggenrola to die is for its energy core to disperse; and given that it the energy core needs no external support and can function indefinitely, we can safely assume that Roggenrola cannot die naturally, unless their body is destroyed or eroded.

**Diet: **Given they lack a mouth, or even a face, they do not eat any sort of food. Their energy core is their source of life, and this core sustains itself. Don't try and put food into its hole either, that will stop its sonar from working and make it go 'blind'.

**How To Bond: **When coming out of their pokeball for the first time, this may be very scared and confused. Try to greet them in a quiet, enclosed place such as your bedroom. This will reduce the amount of new sounds Roggenrola is exposed to. Act very nice and gently show it some of your other Pokémon, but make sure these first few Pokémon are friendly as well.

As it grows accustomed to the world, slowly take it to new places, letting it take in all the new sounds. After it has heard a new sound, it will be able to comfortably listen to it anytime afterwards. Do _not_ take it to anywhere extremely loud and bustling, such as city streets, concerts, train stations or factories. Roggenrola will simply be unable to handle the noise and will freak out, possibly injuring someone. They share this sensitivity trait with the Woobat family.

It can be a little hard to love a Pokémon that resembles a rock, but you mustn't alienate it from the rest of your Pokémon. While it may be unable to express them, it still has emotion, thoughts and feelings just like any other Pokémon.

**Battling: **All Roggenrola have the ability Sturdy, and you will certainly know this if you've ever battled a member of the Roggenrola family. When an enemy has this ability, prepare for a long and inconvenient battle. Seriously, this ability is probably the most annoying thing a trainer can encounter.

If you did not know, this move prevents Roggenrola from being knocked out in one hit. It's a highly useful ability that ensures that you don't lose the battle straight away. This buys you enough time to escape, or retaliate.

As a pure rock type, Roggenrola has obscene defences and relatively high attack. If a foe lacks an effective attack, victory will be a simple task. Unfortunately, it is also an extremely slow Pokémon. Most attacks will be solid hits, and Roggenrola will have very few opportunities to strike back. You will have to rely on endurance and patience to win.

Defensively, Roggenrola is very risk as it is weak to five types, most of which are very common. Since most Pokémon can out speed poor Roggenrola, it simply won't have enough time to respond, so it is better that you keep it on the side-lines of battles like these. It does however sport a resistance against Normal moves, so it makes a great defender is many cases.

This Pokémon has a very limited movepool, and so its effectiveness in battle depends entirely on the typing of your opponent. To make matters worse, it cannot learn any moves to counter Pokémon with typing advantages. If any Fighting, Ground, Steel, Water or Grass Pokémon comes out, it's time to switch in another Pokémon.

Harden and Iron Defense are important moves to have, as they raise Roggenrola's already healthy defence. Sand Attack and Mud Slap can buy you some time to revise a bad situation. Offensively Rock Blast is your best move but be wary, it is a multi-strike move and you may be dealt the short end of the stick occasionally!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Roggenrola is a cooperative Pokémon that will easily slip into your team without a single protest. They are a caring Pokémon that keeps an eye (or ear) out for any friends in need. And most would appreciate that. Some of your Pokémon may be frightened of a talking rock, so you need to remind them that Roggenrola is just like any other Pokémon. Fighting types spend lots of time breaking rocks to strengthen themselves, so they may try to practise on Roggenrola!

It also fears Water types, given its natural weakness to them, so advise Roggenrola beforehand if you have any aquatic Pokémon; otherwise it will panic and attack them in self defense.

**Warnings: **If Roggenrola's sonar is being interfered with, it may become confused and lash out.

**Summary: **Lots of small children keep pet rocks in their youth, and this is really no different. They are simple to take care of, do not require feeding, and are easy to catch. If you want one solely for battling, you may want to catch a Boldore instead; unless you want to closely bond with it.

**Next Time… Number 031 Boldore!**

* * *

**A/N: Making a rock interesting… what a challenge! I did a little research into magma, lava and volcanic materials before starting this chapter. I find Roggenrola a little frightening; this is because humans can easily relate and become affectionate to any creature with a recognisable face, but when presented with a living thing that lacks a face, we are a little unnerved by the dissonance. Although this isn't as severe as uncanny valley, my god.**

**Fan Facts: Roggenrola is similar to Geodude: Both are Rock-type, have Sturdy as one their abilities, evolve at level 25 and reach their final forms when traded.**

**Roggenrola is based on a geode.**

**Roggenrola shares its Japanese name (Dangoro) with a character from The Legend of Zelda series.**

**Roggenrola is based on 'Rock n' Roll' or 'Rock n' Roller'. **


	36. 031 Boldore

**Number: **# 031

**Type: **Rock

**Species: **Ore

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gantle

**Description: **As Roggenrola becomes stronger, the energy core within itself becomes more powerful too. As time passes it continues to grow until finally it cannot be contained within the body anymore, and thus Roggenrola evolves into Boldore.

As it evolves; its body enlarges to capacitate this new power, and reserves of pure energy break out and crystalize, forming orange crystalline formations jagging out of locations all around the body. Strangely, these formations always appear in the same place on every Boldore, there has never been a Boldore to have extra, missing, or alternately placed crystals at all. Perhaps it is because these are Boldore's weakest points upon evolving, so the energy bursts out at these vulnerable locations consistently.

These crystal formations seem to be directly linked to Boldore's energy core, as they glow with power whenever Boldore is readying a powerful attack. It can also make these glow for the purpose of illuminating dark areas such as caverns. Since it does not require light to see, it only does this to help humans or other Pokémon.

When broken or chipped off, the energy in these crystals disperses and reverts to common igneous rock, denying us the chance to examine them. As Boldore's core is always producing more energy, these crystals will swiftly be replaced by brand new ones.

With the addition of a spine located at Boldore's front, its single ear has now becomes two ears. Now that it can receive sound from two different places at once, Boldore's 'vision' is now much broader and Boldore can comprehend its surroundings a lot better. It can also filter unneeded noise out and focus on more specific sounds. This means that it can no longer be overwhelmed by too many conflicting sounds as it would as a Roggenrola, but this also means that Boldore can search out hidden or insignificant things that not even a Swoobat would notice.

Boldore was discovered alongside Roggenrola as both species frantically clawed their way out of the Twist Mountain fissure and into Unova. The Boldore were fewer in number and were shyer than the Roggenrola, so they fled deep into caves immediately. Over the last hundred years they have made many appearances and have integrated into Pokémon society and niche.

Upon evolving in the wild, they leave their old community to form their own groups of 3 – 6 members. These Pokémon hide away just like Roggenrola, but they still approach any exploring humans out of curiosity. They will rush to the defense of any nearby Roggenrola communities under attack. Many species of Pokémon leave their home upon evolution for differing reasons, some of which are unknown.

**Personality: **Boldore's personality does not change upon evolution; it remains the same friendly, curious Pokémon that you had before, just in a larger body. It is very proud of its newfound power and tries to show it off by brightly flashing its crystals. Unfortunately, many Pokémon mistake this for a threatening display and react in a hostile manner, causing poor Boldore a few unwanted battles.

They are still very curious, but behave differently than their previous form. Roggenrola directly approach humans without caution, whereas Boldore observe from the shadows and try to indirectly interact, sometimes by throwing rocks (not directly at the human, of course) or building little piles of rocks. When a human stops to investigate these, Boldore comes shuffling up to observe closely.

Boldore are equally as kind as their younger counterpart Roggenrola, and while they have little external interaction with Pokémon, most of it is spent helping or trying to help Pokémon. Due to their lack of socialisation, they sometimes think a Pokémon is in need of help even when it isn't, and get themselves into trouble. But they never mean any harm, even if they act on misguided impulse.

**Lifespan:** Just like Roggenrola, Boldore shows no evidence of ever dying of natural causes. The only times Boldore has been documented to 'die' is when the energy core within itself is released or severely traumatised. If exposed to thousands of years of erosion, it is possible that Boldore could wear away until it dies.

**Diet: **It does not need any form of nutrition. The energy core reacting within its body needs to external assistance; and since the energy core is its sole source of sustainment, it needs to external help either.

**How To Bond: **If you read Roggenrola's entry, then you will already know how to bond with Boldore. The only reason Boldore even looks different from Roggenrola was so it could accommodate the new reserves of power within itself; otherwise it would be completely the same.

However, Boldore is no longer afflicted by loud and conflicting noises such as those within a city, so you do not need to worry about taking it to specific places. Be advised that attacks like supersonic and machines that use extreme frequencies (such as sonar) will still have a disastrous effect on Boldore, so you must remove it immediately.

It is still a very curious Pokémon, especially if you caught it from the wild rather than evolving it up. Due to this, it will want to explore many new places and learn as much as it can from this new world. Letting Boldore earn as much as it can from this will result in a very grateful Pokémon!

For an unknown reason, they are attracted to underground water wells, which is bizarre behaviour for a Rock type as they normally fear water. If you give Boldore the opportunity to find one of these wells, it will be grateful to you for the rest of its life. When they do discover a water reserve, they shuffle around the perimeter and dab themselves into the water, while performing all sorts of eldritch rituals. We have yet to develop a conclusion on this irregular behaviour.

They seem to have sensitive hearts and can easily take someone's words to heart (or energy core!) for better, or for worse. It may be hard to tell if Boldore is sad, but it is important that you comfort it if it is. Signs of a saddened Boldore include apathy and disinterest in group activities, something that Boldore would not normally pass up.

**Battling: **Boldore is a bulky heavy hitter, able to take ample amounts of damage without issue, and return the favour with twice the ferocity. However, its Special Defense is paper-thin, so expect Boldore to fall if you're up against an enemy that focuses on Special attacks. Boldore is also as slow as a… boulder; but it's ability Sturdy can remedy this somewhat.

With five weaknesses, four of which are very common, sending Boldore out to battle can be a risky gamble. Before sending it out, try summing up your opponent's type and the typing of moves they can possibly learn. This may seem to be a troublesome task, but it is much better to go through this effort than send Boldore out only to have it decimated by an unexpected attack!

Iron Defense should be your first move, since you won't get many more in otherwise. Power Gem is the first move learnable after evolution, but it is rather pointless, as it is a special attack; and Boldore's Special Attack is truly abysmal. For now, stick to Rock Blast and Headbutt. Rock Slide is where things really get rolling (or sliding!) since it is a heavy physical attack backed by STAB, and can cause the enemy to flinch, buying you extra precious time. There are some places where this move cannot be used, such as city streets, simply because it would cause a huge amount of damage.

Stealth Rock is a fantastic move that deals no damage initially, but will inflict severe damage whenever another opponent is switched into battle. This will give you an advantage straight off the bat, and can quickly set you up for victory if used right. The damage inflicted depends entirely on the enemies' typing however, so if you're up against Fighting types don't expect it to do much damage.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Boldore are still kind and friendly and try their best to be helpful, whether their help is wanted or not. Given Boldore's bulky form, it can sometimes causes accidents when running to help somebody. Lot of Pokémon won't take kindly to such behaviour, and will respond angrily or even aggressively in retaliation. Poor Boldore will not have understood what it did wrong, so it is important that you have a little talk about acting calmly.

As a Roggenrola it feared Water types greatly, but now it actually approaches and examines them, before walking away in disinterest. Perhaps they remind it of the underground water reserves it constantly searches for. Most Water types won't mind this, but may be slightly creeped out.

On the opposite of the spectrum, Bug types will be intimidated by Boldore; as they could easily be squished by such a big Pokémon with strong resistances. This excludes the Sewaddle family and Durant, both of which can defend themselves. To resolve this, have a little meeting between Boldore and your Bugs in a constrained place, where neither group can strike each other. When they are in this position, both sides will have to listen to what you say.

Boldore will always faithfully support its team members in battle and in normal life. Numerous Pokémon would appreciate having such a charitable ally by their side, so you should ensure that they do not abuse this opportunity.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Boldore is a faithful and useful Pokémon that can give its best inside and outside of battle, all while being your friend. While it may be hard to talk and play with a living rock, you mustn't segregate Boldore from your other Pokémon simply because it looks strange. They are overall more capable versions of Roggenrola, so it is suggested that you wait to capture one of these rather than a Roggenrola.

**Next Time… Number 032 Gigalith!**

* * *

**A/N: I'm not really happy with this one, as it seems more like an extension off of Roggenrola rather than an actual chapter. But there wasn't too much to talk about, so I had to stretch my imagination a bit to get even this far. While I don't normally like Pokémon like these, I must admit that Boldore's shiny form is awesome! It looks like a radioactive Headcrab or something...**

**Fun Facts: Boldore is designed after both a geode and a crab. It is also the first Pokémon since Generation I that evolves via trading with no extra conditions.**

**Boldore is the only Pokémon with three legs, i.e. a tripod. Now I'm getting disturbing images of War Of The Worlds… Are the Boldore going to spread red mist all over Unova? Do they come from Mars? Yeesh... If you can't find me, I'll be hiding in my basement wearing my tinfoil hat.**


	37. 032 Gigalith

**A/N: A big thanks to Shady Lady and Hard Tack, whose suggestions helped me with this chapter!**

* * *

**Number: **# 032

**Type: **Rock

**Species: **Compressed

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gigaialith

**Description:** Gigalith is a very rarely encountered Pokémon, as they have only existed for the past 27 years!

30 years ago, leading scientists at Kanto invented the Pokémon Trade System (PTS) so trainers could confidently trade Pokémon without worrying about being tricked or scammed; it was seen as a huge triumph for the Pokémon League and Pokémon trainers around the world.

Depending on who you are, trading can be exciting prospect, a heart-breaking farewell, or a trivial matter; but for Gigalith it is a life changing event!

When a Pokémon is reclaimed back into a pokeball, the Pokémon's body is broken down into a form of pure energy, but the Pokémon is still conscious and may observe the outer world. When the Pokémon is later taken out of the ball, all the pure energy reverts back into its original form. A similar process occurs when two Pokémon are traded; their energy form is transmitted through a machine across a short distance, and any information relating them to their trainer is transferred over to the other person. In order to do this, the Pokémon is exposed to a beam of highly weakened radiation, and this never has any sort of effect on the actual Pokémon whatsoever.

That was until the first Boldore was traded. As the trainer eagerly greeted his new Boldore, he gasped as it burst into radiant light turned into a towering monolith of stone and crystals. Soon droves of scientists were all over the confounded boy and Pokémon, all desperate to be known as the first person to classify the new Pokémon Gigalith.

It seems that whatever made up Boldore's energy core reacted violently to the exposure of radiation and triggered an evolution; although the process resembles a mutation instead. As the core reacts to the radiation, it bursts out and develops a much larger body to accommodate the powerful energy, and massive shards of crystal spike out to store and augment this energy even more. With some tests, we have concluded that Gigalith's new energy contains traces of radiation. If your Boldore evolved into a Gigalith, congratulations. You now have a living nuclear reactor as a pet.

Trading isn't the only way to make a Gigalith evolve, however. Any sort of radiation exposure can trigger the evolutionary process, but it will take a much larger amount of radiation and trading is the most convenient method. This is because Boldore will reflect most radiation, but when in a vulnerable energy form like when trading, the radiation can permeate Boldore's body much more easily.

The energy core housed within Gigalith is insanely powerful, testified by all of the energy crystals produced simply to accommodate this. These crystals can absorb sunlight and feed this to the core, making it even stronger! When it charges this power up it can fire blasts of energy strong enough to decimate entire buildings.

To summarize, Gigalith is a living nuclear reactor armed with lasers that can _make itself stronger_ with common sunlight. It's actually a good thing these Pokémon aren't found in the wild; I hate to imagine what would happen if Team Plasma got their hands on a few of these four years ago…

**Personality: **Gigalith are very docile and spend most of their time shuffling around idly. Since they need absolutely no support to survive, they are sometimes very detached from their surroundings. Through evolution their ears have developed into a dual set of ears and eyes. That's right, Gigalith hears through its _eyes_. But this gift of sight could be considered a curse; because now Gigalith's hearing is impaired, and its eyesight is rather lacking. They are aware of this and thus tread carefully, always watching to ensure they don't step on any smaller creatures.

Externally they seem rather callous, but they do indeed have feelings; they just can't communicate them as easily. Because of this they can become upset as they feel isolated from the rest of society. Even so, they are still gentle giants that have no antagonistic intentions.

**Lifespan:** Even though we have only known these Pokémon for 27 years, we can already agree that these Pokémon will still be walking around for thousands of years to come; which is just like the Golett family. Thousands of years ago an ancient civilisation built the Golett and Golurk and these Pokémon still wander about today. Likewise in a thousand years people will probably hold Gigalith in the same regard…

**Diet: **They do not require any sort of nutrition. However, they can absorb sunlight to strengthen themselves if they need to.

**How To Bond: **Now, this depends on how you obtained Gigalith. Did you receive it in a trade? Or did you trade it and then trade it back?

If you had Boldore traded and returned, then you should already be Gigalith's close companion; unless you alienated it as a Boldore or a Roggenrola. In that case, Gigalith might have a serious inferiority complex. Regardless of whether you did or not, Gigalith will need plenty of reminders that you care for it. Giving it a wash is a great way to treat it, but _don't_ use pure water! Gigalith has now retained its fear of water, and it will panic if you try to put water anywhere near it. This will also damage its trust in you. Instead, there are special wash solutions you can buy to polish it with, these won't frighten Gigalith and will give it a sparky finish!

If you obtained a foreign Gigalith in a trade, then it will be very nervous and feel distanced, since it won't know you or any of your other Pokémon. It may be scared after evolving into this new form and not know how to act. Your first goal is to calm it down and show it that you are kind. Talk soothingly and stroke your hand over one of its crystals. We haven't proven it, but these crystals may be able to pick up on people's emotions, so this is a potential way to directly show Gigalith that you are a good person.

Gigalith will certainly outlive you, so you need to keep this in mind. If you are an aging or sickly person, you may have to warn Gigalith about your impending death. It may not seem like it, but these creatures can be easily as distraught about death just like any other Pokémon, especially if you've had it as a Roggenrola.

**Battling: **Gigalith is an absolute tank! Most Pokémon will be broken by its mighty form, and any that survive will probably flee. If you have Gigalith out walking with you, expect wild battles to be far and few between, as most Pokémon will have the intelligence not to attack such a fearsome creature. Gigalith's ability Sturdy has now been made somewhat redundant, as very few things will be able to take Gigalith down in one hit away.

As tough and powerful as Gigalith is, it is extremely slow. Only a few select Pokémon such as Foongus and Ferroseed are slower, but they don't stand a chance anyway. Due to its slowness, Gigalith fights best in confined areas such as caves, because then the enemy will have difficulty out speeding it and allow Gigalith to use its brute force. Alternately, don't send it out to battle on a beach. The last kid that did that had to pay 50000P to the workers after they had to dig Gigalith out of the massive hole it had sunken into.

Its defences don't mean anything if the enemy uses special attacks either, as they can bypass them without worry. Given that most Grass and Water types (Two of Gigalith's weaknesses) commonly use special attacks, you can end up in a lot of trouble without foresight. On the note of weaknesses, Gigalith retains all of its vulnerabilities, and they can still pack as much damage as before, so think ahead before sending Gigalith out. Remember, prevention is better than Pokémon centre.

Sandstorm can be a very important move, as it can provide a temporary distraction and make it hard for enemies to hit Gigalith. It will also steadily damage them too, whereas Gigalith will remain unaffected. Due to the way its senses work, Gigalith can seemingly see straight through the sandstorm, even though it normally has poor eyesight; use this to your advantage.

Stone edge is by far the most useful move you have in your arsenal. It deals a surprising amount of damage, hits multiple targets, and can knock down opponents that are currently airborne. Anything that isn't a Fighting, Ground or Steel type will be staggered by this move!

If worse comes to worst, Gigalith can resort to Explosion. This move will decimate any opponent, but will cause Gigalith to faint. This obviously causes Gigalith an extreme amount of suffering, so you must use this move as a last resort. Do not fool around with this move, it is extremely dangerous and can kill anyone nearby if used foolishly. Consider what happens after the move is used. What happens if Gigalith was your only Pokémon? What if Explosion took out only one Pokémon when there are many more still wanting to battle?

Overall, you need to check your weaknesses, plan ahead, and formulate strategies and the battle progresses.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Gigalith may feel lonely in its large form, so it will be very eager to play with other Pokémon, but it has to be careful of its own size! It will be wary anyway, but some younger Pokémon such as Lillipup might not realise the danger and foolishly leap about Gigalith's legs, endangering themselves. It is vital that you warn all of your Pokémon of this danger, or you could be held liable for any accidents or deaths.

Keep Gigalith occupied with activities involving the other Pokémon; working alongside each other always builds strong relationships that last. Some Pokémon will naturally be wary of Gigalith, as it can be hard to understand a walking talking mountain! This is expected, but should be discouraged. Try to pair them up and let the two talk, Gigalith can talk like any other Pokémon, and when they see that Gigalith has thoughts and feelings just like they do, they may soften up.

**Warnings: **Gigalith can't sense its surroundings as easily as it used to, and that combined with its bulky form can make it a hazard to be around. Don't stand close behind it; otherwise you might end up flattened, and a Pokémon of that size and weight would kill you instantly. And don't try and hug Gigalith either, otherwise you might end up impaled on its crystals.

**Summary: **Gigalith takes effort to obtain, but can be an absolute titan in battle if used properly. If used irresponsibly however, it could cause injury or death. Only obtain or evolve this Pokémon if you are confident that you can handle a handful; this Pokémon is not recommended for amateur trainers.

**Next Time… Number 033 Woobat!**

* * *

**A/N: Wow, what a big description. There were so many ideas to work with that I didn't want to let go of any, so this chapter ended a bit top-heavy. Woobat's entry might resemble Roggenrola's, as both rely on echolocation and live in caves. **

**Fun Facts: the Gigalith family is an expy of the Golem family. That means it closely resembles them and has similar traits. For example, both are Rock-type, learn Stealth Rock, Smack Down, Explosion, Stone Edge, and Rock Blast by level-up, first evolve at level 25, and then reaches the final evolutionary stage by trading.**

**Gigalith is based on a crystal formation.**

**Its name is a fusion of **_**gigas**_** (Greek for giant) and lithos (Greek for stone) so it literally means stone giant; a fitting name.**


	38. 033 Woobat

**Number: **# 033

**Type: **Psychic - Flying

**Species:** Bat

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Koromori

**Description: **If you're walking through a cave one day and hear the sound of furiously flapping wings, prepare to be smooched!

These Pokémon are epidemic throughout all mountains, caves and forests all throughout Unova, and they make their presence very well known. You will know immediately when you have stumbled upon a Woobat nest.

The most prominent part of their body is the nose, which is curiously shaped like a love heart! These noses can suck in huge volumes of air, and they use these noses to stick onto surfaces to sleep with the power of suction. Whenever they detach from a surface they leave behind a heart shaped mark, made by their single nostril to mark where they have been. Woobat are a territorial species so they use these marks to warn other people and Pokémon that they have invaded their territory; a crime that is severely punishable.

Contrary to popular belief, Woobat do indeed have eyes. However, these eyes are near useless and serve almost no purpose, so the Woobat allow their fur to grow over them without a second thought. Instead of eyesight, they use the power of echolocation to navigate their home and identify food and enemies. What is echolocation, you ask?

Echolocation is a form of navigation that some Pokémon, and even blind humans, use to find their way around. The Woobat emit high pitched cries, and these sounds bounce off anything obstructive and return to Woobat. Using this, Woobat can build a 3-D map of an area inside its head; and with this form of sight it can notice things that even people with healthy eyesight cannot see. However, they can only see things that their cries can bounce off, so Ghost Pokémon or rapidly moving objects cannot be detected. Given that Woobat are Psychic types and thus have a weakness to Ghost, this makes Ghost types extremely dangerous. One Yamask can easily take down an entire colony of Woobat without being detected.

Woobat live in colonies of 20 – 100 individuals, and all work together in perfect harmony in order to survive. Each Woobat has their own frequency and pitch with which they echo with. This is important, because if they all used the same frequency all their cries would interfere with each other, rendering the entire colony blind. They all perform the same action at the same time, for example; they all sleep together, eat together, and fight together. This means that no Woobat becomes separated from the colony so they never have to worry.

They share multiple traits with the Roggenrola family. Both use echolocation, both live in caves (often the same ones!) and both work in unison with the entire colony. Woobat have lived in Unova for thousands of years, whereas the Roggenrola have only been around for a hundred. Some biologists suspect that Roggenrola observed the Woobat and behaved identically in order to survive, or alternately the Woobat took sympathy on the new species and taunt them a few survival skills.

Even though they attack in packs, they are very weak even in groups, so catching one shouldn't be a problem at all.

**Personality: **They are incredibly hyperactive; and whenever they are not sleeping or eating they flit about their home maniacally, chasing each other and investigating anything that looks remotely interesting. They can only evolve when they feel that they are very close to someone (in the wild, another Woobat. In captivity, you.) So they play together for hours in search of someone who they can identify with. Whenever they spot a human they fly over to interact, for better or for worse. If they are in their home, they will attack you without thinking, the whole swarm of them. Alternately if they are somewhere else, they will simply hover around you and sniff curiously before flying away again. Some may stick behind and attempt to play with you or your Pokémon, however. This sets them apart from the Roggenrola; the Roggenrola dislike leaving their home and only investigate humans when they enter their home turf.

Woobat are very emotional Pokémon too, they wear their heart on their sleeve (or nose!) as you could put it. They often overreact when angered or excited, making big fusses over trivial matters. They often act dopily, much like how a young Lillipup acts. This doesn't mean they are stupid; they just like to fool around a little. They crave social interactions, and readily become depressed should they go on without friends for a period of time.

With their big nose, they 'kiss' people or items they have become attached to, leaving a stamp mark behind. Apparently this feels like being kissed by a Jynx. *shudder*

**Lifespan: **As expected of a Flying type, they have shorter-than-usual lives; on average, they reach about 10 – 20 years before passing away. But since their evolution and health depends on friendship, one can die twice as quickly if isolated.

**Diet: **Woobat are omnivorous, but prefer berries and nuts. They leave their home at night to forage for food. If there is a shortage of food and are desperate, they will resort to eating smaller Pokémon such as Patrat to survive. During the great war hundreds of years ago, when humans slaughtered each other and burnt Unova down, Woobat were seen eating human corpses due to all the forests being destroyed. This was done out of severe desperation, and has never occurred since.

After being captured they aren't particularly fussy, so as long as you always have a bag full of berries, nuts or pellets, you will be fine. Be advised that they will eat Pokémon if you neglect to feed them, and this includes any of _your_ Pokémon if you have any young ones. They regret eating other Pokémon however, and may resent themselves for doing to.

**How To Bond: **After catching them, they will be very frightened and confused. The moment you let them out of their pokeball, they will fly away to re-join their colony; undoing all your efforts to catch it. To stop this let them out in a closed environment, and don't forget to close the windows!

As they flit about examining the place, sit calmly in a chair or on the floor and watch them. Soon they will take notice of you and fly down to inspect you, now this is your chance to give a good first impression for Woobat. Introduce yourself cheerfully and hold out a handful of berries, making sure not to be overly loud or threatening. In the wild, offering food is seen as a request for friendship, and a Pokémon like Woobat will be more than happy to accept.

When you have ensured that Woobat isn't going to fly away, take it outside to play. Let it explore the surrounding area, but remind them not to wander off. Woobat has a tendency to forget things, but this is a case where you have to rely on trust. As the amount of time spent together increases, Woobat will gradually become more attached to you and the chances of it flying away will decrease likewise. After they trust you intimately, they will frequently smooch you with their nose to display their affection. This may be a little icky, but you mustn't react angrily or negatively. They will take it straight to heart and will become very depressed. These kisses will usually have no bad effects, but if Woobat has a cold you might want to wash your face afterwards.

**Battling: **They aren't particularly strong, and their dual typing gives them a slew of foreboding weaknesses. If you're going to use this Pokémon to battle, you need to have a clear idea of what you're doing.

For most Flying types, speed is the best stat, but poor Woobat's wings are designed for deftly navigating confined caverns rather than hurtling across the sky; and thus their speed is rather lacklustre in comparison to other Flying types. To confound his problem, their bodies are frail and cannot take many hits before the drop like stones. This may make Woobat sound like an absolutely useless Pokémon, but it does have one silver lining; its evasiveness is astounding. Because it is so accustomed to dodging stalactites and shards of rock in the shortest periods of time, most attacks won't land anywhere near Woobat as it squeals in amusement. This type of battling is a real gamble, because chances are the foe will get one injurious blow in at some stage.

Even new-born Woobat naturally know Confusion. It's a weak move, but it does have a very slight chance of inflicting Confusion. As any experienced trainer knows, confusion is one pain in the rear. (Or Ponyta!) Assurance isn't a very strong move either, but it will allow you to strike back at any Psychic or Ghost types giving you a bother. But given that Woobat has extreme difficulty finding Ghost types, you will have to use Odour Sleuth prior. Odour Sleuth will let Woobat sniff out Ghost types, rather than see them, but regardless it will still become aware of their presence.

Heart Stamp is the Woobat family's signature move, as you could easily tell. Through some mysterious action, they damage their opponent with their soft and snuffly nose, leaving behind a heart mark to boot. While it doesn't do much damage, it does have a decent chance of making the foe flinch, plus it is pretty hilarious to see a really grumpy Pokémon with a love heart on its face! As an alternate to Heart Stamp, you could use Air Cutter to deal with anything resisting Psychic type moves. It's not as strong as cannot make the foe flinch, however.

Rock and Ghost types are your biggest threats. One accurate Rock move will take vulnerable Woobat down straight away, and Ghost types will easily overwhelm Woobat unless it uses Odour Sleuth.

On a last note, teach Woobat the TM Double Team! Do it! If it uses this move, the enemy will almost never hit Woobat, it's that effective. If you teach it the TM Clam Mind as well, and then follow up with Heart Stamp/Air Cutter, you could spam these three moves all the way to victory for every battle!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Woobat are highly sociable creatures and slip into most teams quite happily. They play nicely with others and show kindness and consideration, although some Pokémon may not appreciate being smooched. When yelled at, or even told to go away, they becomes very upset and hide away to cry. If you find out that this has happened, tell your Pokémon to apologize straight away. As sad as it might be, Woobat will readily perk back up when spoken to nicely.

They have a deep fear of both Ghost and Ice types, with the prior being the most evident. Their fear of Ghosts is very understandable, imagine working beside someone you can't see, and that person can hurt you anytime they wish without you being able to stop them. Not a very pleasant idea, is it?

As a Flying type, they are weak to the cold and have trouble flying in cold weather, so this may explain why they don't like Ice types, particularly if they cool the air around them!

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Woobat is weak but easy to catch and makes a good friend. It is cooperative and plays along nicely with other Pokémon. Having a Woobat and Roggenrola on the same team is a good idea. They aren't the best in combat, but do become competent upon evolution. This Pokémon is a good recommendation for starting trainers.

**Next Time… Number 034 Swoobat!**

* * *

**A/N: When I first saw Woobat, I didn't like it. But that's because I thought its nose was its eye. When I found out the truth, it didn't seem so bad and it's kinda grown on me. Also, Psychic – Flying is a weird typing, isn't it? I'm really tired, so I'll start on Swoobat tomorrow... **

**Also, I must point something out. In the battling section I mentioned how Heart Stamp is Woobat's signature move, but while it should be, it isn't. This is because other Pokémon can learn it in the same generation it was introduced.**

**For Heart Stamp, the user hits the opponent with a heart shaped body part. Woobat uses its nose. Jynx can learn it, and it probably uses its heart-shaped lips. *shudder***

**The only other Pokémon that can learn this move is Miltank, although I would hate to know what heart-shaped body part it would 'hit' you with… *double shudder***

**Fun Facts: The Woobat family is an expy of the Zubat family. (Although I'd much rather see a Woobat than one of those horrors) Both of them are Bat Pokémon species, live in caves or other dark places, and have no visible eyes; furthermore, both of them reach their respective fully-evolved form by friendship.**

**Karl from the 13****th**** movie (Zoroark: Master of Illusions) has a Woobat image on his hat. **

**Woobat is based on a Honduran White Bat, and is a literal interpretation of the Heart-nosed Bat.**


	39. 034 Swoobat

**Number: **# 034

**Type: **Psychic - Flying

**Species:** Courting

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Kokoromori

**Description: **Swoobat is the Courting Pokémon. Yeah, you read it right, the _Courting_ Pokémon.

In order to evolve into a Swoobat, a Woobat needs to have developed a close companionship with a human or Pokémon. In the wild, this person would normally be a fellow Woobat, but in rare circumstances it may be a Pokémon of a different species, usually within the same egg group. Alternately, you will fit this role if you are its trainer. If you are an experienced trainer, seeing your Pokémon evolve may no longer be a surprise, and you may even pass it off as commonplace, but for Swoobat this is a pivotal moment in its history.

When they have evolved, it means they have found someone to live alongside permanently. Note that companion can mean a lot of things; it can mean lover, friend or master. For you, it probably means one of the last two, depending on how you raised it as a Woobat. When Swoobat has found this companion, they will never leave their side and will fight to the death to protect them, or be reunited with them. This is why catching wild Swoobat is such a huge nuisance, you must catch its companion as well as itself; otherwise it will battle you endlessly until you finally release it. If you evolved it from a Woobat yourself, then well done; you have a lifetime ally. I guess you will probably add it to your growing list of lifetime companion Pokémon…

Through evolution its body has changed greatly, the most noticeable change is that it now has eyes! That's right; the once blind Woobat now has a pair of perfect eyes and 20/20 vision to see the world with. Now it no longer has to fear Ghosts or fast objects, and it knows too!

Even though it now has eyes, it still uses its echolocation to assist in navigation. This can come in handy a lot; Swoobat can still see in darkness, bad weather, or notice things most would fail to see. It now has a single ear atop its head which acts like a radar dish, picking up and amplifying any sounds heard, either from Swoobat's own cries or general noise. With these new additions, Swoobat has sensory skills on level with a Psychic type such as Beheeyem!

In the wild, Woobat hold courting ceremonies annually. In these ceremonies, the Woobat dance all around their home and flutter their wings lightly, while sending their cries in all directions. As they flutter about they stop to examine each other, and partake in small dances. Eventually some Woobat finds someone that catches their fancy, and they spend the rest of the ceremony getting to know them.

As the ceremony draws to a close, the successful couples evolve into Swoobat and fly off together to join a newly formed Swoobat colony. There have been some misconceptions that Swoobat couples are male/female ones only. This is incorrect. Just like nearly all Pokémon, Swoobat do not take gender into consideration when finding a mate, male/male and female/female couples are equally as common as heterosexual couples.

After joining a colony, they settle down and live peacefully in cooperation with the colony. Swoobat colonies are far more territorial and dangerous than their previous form, so be very careful if you stumble across one!

**Personality: **A Pokémon usually gains its species name through an evident part of their physique, personality, legends or actions. For Swoobat, it is the latter.

Even though they already have a close companion and are very faithful to them, male Swoobat still have a desire to seek romance, and are true romantics at heart. The females are more down-to-earth and lack any sort of interest in further romance. The male Swoobat always fly around the local area, attempting to court any human or Pokémon that is not hostile.

It does this by firstly approaching the target and playing coyly with them, circling round and showing off its physical skill. When the target is captivated, Swoobat releases special sound waves which cannot be detected by humans and most Pokémon. Even so, these sound waves make anyone hearing them clam, relaxed, cheerful and slightly aroused. When Swoobat's magic is done, it flies off in search on the next target, before reuniting with its companion. In order to keep the Pokedex kid-friendly, it only mentions the part about a 'positive mood shift'.

They are extremely optimistic and always ready to go out for an adventure. Even though they have astounding senses, they are often too focused in their daily activity and do not pay attention to their surroundings. Due to this they sometimes look very dopey, and they often are. They do very silly things and then gather to laugh at whatever the outcome is, especially if someone else gets dragged into the mischief. For a fully evolved Pokémon, they have childish personalities and do not plan ahead; instead they live one day at a time, changing their plans in order to suit any sudden changes. They do not get along well with serious or fast paced people.

**Lifespan: **They only live to be around 20 – 40 years on average, but should their companion, regardless of who they were, dies; then Swoobat will give up on living entirely. In the Great War long ago, soldiers were often paired up with Swoobat so they would have a loyal ally that could help them in both fighting and navigation. After battles, survivors would find the corpses of Swoobat draped over the corpse of their human companion. Even though that was hundreds of years before I was born, that still makes me sad…

**Diet: **They are still omnivorous, but meat has become a larger part of their diet, as they need more nutrition to feed their larger body. During the day the standard collection of berries nuts and fruit, but at night they fly out to hunt for Pokémon such as Patrat, Pidove or Minccino. Unlike their previous form they feel no shame in eating other Pokémon, but they will still refuse to eat humans unless in a deadly scenario.

If you own some smaller Pokémon such as the ones listed above, you will have to warn Swoobat not to eat them. So long as you provide a steady stream or pellets and natural foods, Swoobat will be content. They also don't mind the taste of specific human foods like rice balls, but something too sugary will make them go hyper, something you never want to see. They _will_ need some sort of meat, either let them out to hunt at night, or cook them up some meat at home.

**How To Bond: **Uh, did you not noticed the whole 'eternal companion' part? Swoobat is totally devoted to you and needs no further conviction that you are a worthwhile human. Even so, if it is male it will still spend a lot of time courting everything else in sight, but you mustn't get jealous or disapprove of it, this is natural behaviour that is inbuilt into its psyche.

Naturally, it will try and court you too. While there is a moderate chance it is attracted to you, it is mostly likely acting out of instinct rather than lust. Just enjoy the good vibes it gives and then get on with whatever you were doing.

They won't ever question your actions, and will contently obey whatever commands you give them. They won't even complain if you push them to the side and focus on other things, as much as it hurts them. Even so, any attention you give them will be greatly appreciated. After all, you're the only one they _want_ attention from!

They like lazy, easy going activities, so try going to the spa together, or the beach. Or even the Supermarket! When they know you are happy to slowly let time waste away by their side, their life will be complete. Very few Pokémon are this content you know, even the starter Pokémon require more attention.

I will warn you however, after Swoobat has just evolves it will not know how to effectively use its eyes properly. Due to this, it may fly around erratically and cause harm if not contained properly. Swoobat will be extremely grateful if you help it during this tough time; so for the time being you can take Swoobat to a small room and show it different objects and colours, it will be amazed!

**Battling: **Swoobat's wings are much robust, and it can sweep up forceful gusts of air to propel itself to places swiftly. Even so, its evasion is still amazingly high; ensuring that getting a hit on Swoobat is a tough act. They usually fight by hovering in close and patiently dodging their foes attacks, waiting for the right moment to deliver a stunning strike. Alternately, they can use their Psychic abilities to throw the enemy off their feet and then swoop in for victory.

It still keeps all its vulnerabilities, although Ghost types are no longer the overwhelming threat they used to be, now that Swoobat can actually see them. Instead, Dark types are the one with the severe advantage, as few of Swoobat's move can even deal damage to them. If you teach Swoobat the Bug type TM U-turn however, it can not only deal decent damage but escape from a difficult situation!

Unsurprisingly, Swoobat can learn attract. (Something that you probably have already learnt) Strangely, even though Pokémon are rarely deterred by gender, Attract only works on Pokémon on the opposite gender. Maybe this move has something to do with conceiving eggs? Anyway, due to this using this move can be a gamble if you do not know the gender of your foe as it may have just wasted some precious time.

Amnesia and Calm Mind can fortify your lacking defences, but beware that Amnesia will make Swoobat forget a move each time, so if you depend on a specific move then it might not be worth using.

Oh, did I mention that Swoobat has Psychic? Yeah, that reality warping move that resembles telekinesis. While it isn't as strong as most Psychics, this move can still work wonders in most circumstances. For example, with Psychic Swoobat can suspend an enemy in mid-air to buy enough time for everybody to make a clean getaway!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **As a true team player, Swoobat should have no issues working alongside the majority of Pokémon species.

Now that it can actually see them, it no longer fears Ghost types. In fact, it often flies straight up to sniff them, before attempting to court them like everything else. It can be quite a funny sight to watch a normally tough Cofagrigus suddenly flee from your giggling Swoobat! They are still very suspicious of Ice types however, so some prior warning will be needed before they meet each other. Swoobat aren't the kind of Pokémon to resent others though, and will let go of any previous uncertainties when shown kindness.

Even though their attempts at courting are purely instinctual, some of your Pokémon may not realise this and respond eagerly, only to be heartbroken or enraged when they realise their affection towards Swoobat is unrequited. When this happens they may get upset or jealous, especially when they see Swoobat flying back to you adoringly; this can cause some deeper complications if not dealt with!

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Swoobat is a quirky Pokémon that deals well with quirky people. They are decent at navigation and battle and can provide many extra services. As a free willed and carefree Pokémon, they would do well with someone who behaves likewise. Alternately, they don't go along well with people who don't have much spare time, or who fail to see the brighter side of everything.

**Next Time… Number 035 Drilbur!**

* * *

**A/N: The Courting Pokémon. I wonder where Game Freak was going with this one! Unfortunately it's lost a little bit of its cuteness through evolution IMO, but I don't think it is as eager about courting as I depicted in this chapter. Drilbur is next, huh? Now that I think about it, we're steadily approaching the 1/3 mark of Unova! I'm looking forward to Excadrill and the Venipede line, but I'm not looking forward to Tympole or Timburr… *shudder***

**On an unrelated note, what's your favourite Unova Pokémon, everybody?**

**Fun Facts: Swoobat is based on a Heart-nosed Bat and a Flying Fox (cute!) Swoobat is a combination of swoon and bat, and its Japanese name Kokoromi is a cross of kokoro (heart) and komori (bat) so… Hearbat? **

**Shiny Swoobat reminds me of candy… **


	40. 035 Drilbur

**Number: **# 035

**Type: **Ground

**Species: **Mole

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Mogurew

**Description: **Drilbur is very proud of its species name, the Mole Pokémon. And it takes great pride in its effort to uphold this title. Some people know this Pokémon as a helpful friend, and some see it as a bane of humanity! Drilbur spend their entire natural lives furiously speeding along their own tunnels, digging them further than anyone cares to realise.

Instead of hands, Drilbur have two unique curved appendages with which they use to dig their way around. Each appendage is made up of three individual claws, which can connect to each other to form a single shovel-like claw. In order to dig over long distances efficiently, they hold both of their claws together and use the weight of their body to spin rapidly. The claws dig into the soil and tear it away, and small grooves filter all the soil to the sides and out of Drilbur's way. As they gain momentum the speed of their digging increases; and they can easily reach speeds of up to 48kph (30 mph). If they are fleeing for their life, they can reportedly reach even faster speeds, although we lack solid proof for this. Because they are only young, their claws cannot breach most igneous rocks, so they stick to the softer upper soils. The territory below them is reserved for their evolutionary relatives. Their skin is extremely tough so they aren't injured by sharp rocks or falling debris, so some people are surprised by Drilbur's high endurance.

Drilbur tend to live as individuals, traveling under the earth alone. However, their tunnels are so large and extensive that they frequently overlap and thus they encounter each other a lot. When this happens, they simple nod to each other before carrying on with their work; but if one or the other is in trouble they will work together to survive. They seem to have no problem whenever a fellow Drilbur or Excadrill enters their tunnels, but should a foreign creature enter, they will furiously oust them with all their effort.

Since Drilbur can only dig at shallow levels, their work often intertwines with the lives of humans aboveground; for better or for worse. Drilbur are often captured just to help people with specific jobs. They help people in gardens and horticulture by aerating soil, removing rocks and searching for any hindrances. They are popular with miners, since they can actually do their job for them. Most people are good-natured about this and continue to work alongside Drilbur rather than slave it. Unfortunately they often show up when not wanted, and can cause quite a bit of trouble. They sometimes dig through gardens when not wanted and destroy crops, or drill through mineshafts to cause cave-ins, and even dig through construction sites and damage the foundations.

Due to this, people are divided about Drilbur, some advocate them as helpful friends, whereas others curse them as hindrances and suggest forceful removal. These confrontations can get very heated and rarely result in battles. Of course neither group realises that Drilbur is a force of nature and should be left to behave how it wishes. Interfering with one Pokémon will have negative impacts on all Pokémon!

**Personality: **Drilbur are very serious Pokémon that obsess with work, they have no interest in playing. This is not because they don't like playing, it is because they have been raised without any sort of playful interaction, and do not understand how fun it is. Likewise, they aren't isolated because they don't like other people; they are isolated simply because they feel they need to constantly work without being interrupted. Why they build so many pointless tunnels has yet to be explained.

Since they are so focused, they get angered easily whenever someone interrupts their work. For a Pokémon, they will full out attack, beating them until the opponent has fled the area. If a human trespasses, Drilbur will throw volleys of sand or soil at them until they leave. As sequestered as they are, they will still help a Pokémon or human in need, before quickly leaping back into the earth to hide.

When unable to work efficiently, they become depressed and restless, frustrated at the fact that they cannot work. A sick Drilbur can be a troublesome Pokémon to handle. Since they are so accustomed to living underground, they will be very nervous and apprehensive when walking above ground for extended periods of time.

**Lifespan: **Drilbur live for a fair amount of time, reaching 30 – 55 years of age respectively. One that is unable to work productively may become despondent and live for a shorter period of time.

**Diet: **They can go for at least a week without food, but rise to the surface to gather berries and nuts when need be. They have a habit of stealing other Pokémon's gathered berries before nipping back down into their holes. After being fed by a human they have a tendency to become gluttonous and demand large amounts of food from their poor trainer.

**How To Bond: **As stated, they are loners and tend to not mix well with others. Due to this you may have a tough time convincing Drilbur to like you. This species _needs_ to frequently work hard, so it will need plenty of time outside of its ball to dig around. That new seal which prevents Pokémon from moving too far away would be good, as it would let Drilbur dig, but not too far away.

They love to eat even when it's not required, so give them healthy amounts of food. Be advised that they to become gluttonous of overfed; so watch how much you're feeding it and scold it when it helps itself to extras!

They have never realised how much fun playing is, so even if they are unwilling try to get them involved in some games or sports. The competitive spirit can remind them of work, so they may quickly become interested! Battling is another way to draw them in with the lure of strength.

As they become more involved in other people's lives, they will gradually open themselves up and begin to show expression. Once they have passed this threshold they are far friendlier. Be warned that Drilbur will initially dislike you if it sees you as a silly person. Try to act with some decency when you first meet.

**Battling: **Drilbur's claws make vicious weapons, and it's tough body can protect it from a variety of physical attacks. Above ground it is a little slow, but underground it if it is given the chance to dive underground it will certainly out speed and outmanoeuvre many Pokémon.

Drilbur focuses on a hit-and-hit technique, diving underground so enemies can't detect it, and then leaping out to deliver powerful blows before returning to the ground again. While this is an effective strategy, it can easily be offset by a single earthquake, or by an extremely sensitive Pokémon. As is obvious, Drilbur is the master of battle in caves; it can leap into any part of the wall and leap out anywhere else. It is also good anywhere where the soil can be penetrated, such as grassy fields. Alternately, they door poorly in open areas or places where they cannot dig, they also can't swim either, so do not send it out into water!

Drilbur's three weaknesses are Water, Grass and Ice. You don't really have to worry about Ice, since they are relatively rare. Water and Grass should be of concern though, as both can provide trouble for Drilbur. It cannot learn any moves to counter Water, but it can learn X-Scissor and Aerial Ace via TM to scare off any potential Grass adversaries.

Mud Slap is good for throwing enemies off guard should get an advantage, and can be quickly followed up by a Fury Swipes or Metal Claw. If you can, try using a Hone Claws before this to give it an extra special edge. Rock Slide is your strongest move and can hold off enemies so you can escape if need be.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **For a long time they may stay away from your other Pokémon, or even shoo them away if they attempt to approach. Your first few days may be rather tense. For the time being let it sit by itself. It will be content for a while, but as it sees you having fun with all the other Pokémon, it will eventually come to realise how lonely it is and approach out of thinly veiled curiosity. Warn your Pokémon to be kind but not overly receptive, otherwise Drilbur will scurry away.

Even if it's interacting only a little, that's still progress, and should not be interfered with. Gently include Drilbur in games with all the other Pokémon, make sure it's a game where everyone looks busy or competitive.

Unfortunately they have a deep distrust of Water type Pokémon, and this is because Water types often flood their tunnels out, either intentionally or unintentionally. Drilbur may attack your Water types on sight if you give it the opportunity. It's simply wiser to keep them apart until Drilbur learns how to trust your other Pokémon first.

**Warnings: **Be careful if giving Drilbur a hug, it may accidentally stab you with its claws.

**Summary: **Drilbur is a strategic Pokémon that is hardworking and generally serious. As such it should be reserved for people who are equally serious and hardworking. It seriously does not get along with light hearted people, which is a shame since they have the most to teach it. The can be a little rough to handle, so you will have to prepare yourself prior to capturing one.

**Next Time… Number 036 Excadrill!**

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**A/N: This chapter is a little… meh. Which is a huge shame since I was looking forward to it. Oh well, I guess every chapter can't be a blazing glory of insightful remarks, but it's still important that I try to reach that level of skill. No effort means no reviews, right?**

**Fun Facts: Drilbur is the only pure Ground type in Unova. It also shares its species name with Diglett and Dugtrio as the Mole Pokémon. Drilbur's anme may be a combination of drill, and burrow.**

**Mogurew (Japanese) may be a combination of mogura (mole) and screw; although that sounds a little off-key to me.**


	41. 036 Excadrill

**Number: **# 036

**Type: **Ground - Steel

**Species: **Subterrene

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Doryuzu

**Description: **Excadrill are a rough, tough Pokémon that gives everyone a run for their money. If your little Drilbur finally had the strength to evolve, then you can now warmly welcome your newest living weapon of mass destruction onto your team. If you caught one from the wild, _you're _the one getting destroyed!

Now that it has evolved, Excadrill's claws are now much sharper and robust, with special razors jutting out the back of them. It also sports a sharp horn appendage just above its head. With the new design of its body; Excadrill can now curl its body down into a much more efficient shape and thus dig at a much faster speed. Once an Excadrill makes it into the ground, don't expect to ever see it again.

Now that its claws are far stronger, it can tear through igneous rocks that it could not previously breach, and they rejoice in this power. They burrow far underground, through any sort of obstructive material in their path. Excadrill still remain independent, but some couples or groups have been seen working together during tough situations.

Even through evolution they remain a heated subject by many people, as some regard them as an aid, whereas some seen them as a horrible nuisance. Miners and subterranean construction crews use them quite frequently for obvious reasons, but the Excadrill usually help out of their own volition; because they always want to help when they see someone else dig tunnels too. Or maybe they just want to show off their own digging skills, who knows.

They build massive nests of interconnecting tunnels, and due to the size of these they often intertwine with the nests of neighbouring Excadrill, resulting in one huge labyrinth in which you are unlikely to ever escape, unless you have your own Excadrill. Unfortunately, their clandestine tunnelling means that they sometimes burst into subway tunnels by accident; causing them to wander around in confusion before returning to the earth. At least seven Excadrill have been injured or killed by subway trains, and at least two Excadrill have caused collapses resulting in the deaths of around 183 people. Please note that they aren't actually trying to cause trouble, they are simply digging the way they have done all their life, and appear in subways only by chance.

**Personality: **Their personality barely changes at all after evolution, so there's not much worth mentioning. They have however become far more prideful of themselves and their work, and as a result do not listen to anyone who has less power or skill. This is the key notion which makes befriending an Excadrill difficult task.

Additionally, they are very finicky and pay close attention to small details; they often go back hundreds of metres just to fix a small imperfection within their tunnel system. When acting as a trained Pokémon they behave them same, forcing their trainer to go back and fix any mistakes or errors they have made along the way. Furthermore, Drilbur used to be quit selfish and would often steal or commit other small crimes to benefit itself without thinking twice about it. Even now Excadrill still focuses on itself, but now it looks down upon pitiful acts with disgust, and earns all its food and possessions with hard effort. If your Excadrill catches you stealing, prepare for a huge scolding!

Excadrill are somewhat less temperamental, because they think calmly about things before acting. This is a huge difference from Drilbur, who would just go ahead and react inappropriately. Due to this their tunnels are expertly laid out and have no flaws. Likewise, their battling strategies are flawless and take down most Pokémon who don't stop to analyse. From now on, Excadrill isn't so insistent on working furiously and doesn't mind the occasional break. But it is still industrious at heart and need have some project to work on.

As with tougher Pokémon, Excadrill has a judicious sex drive. But it will dig far away from you to satisfy itself. Hopefully.

**Lifespan: **They live for an unusually long time, reaching around 55 – 100 years old. Hundred year old Excadrill nests have been dug up occasionally, containing gathered treasures of the last century. In fact, I have an 87 year old bottle of whisky sitting on in a glass case in my lab that one of our field correspondents dug up.

**Diet: **They can go several weeks without food, butnaturally they only eat berries just like most Pokémon. When hungry, they dug back up to the surface to forage for whatever foods the can find, before returning to their caverns. They stockpile foods in certain excavated rooms for later consumption, and these stockpiles can usually keep one Excadrill alive for one winter, respectively.

**How To Bond: **Excadrill only respect those who have enough power to dominate them entirely. You've already partially proven this by beating and capturing it, but you still have a long way to go before Excadrill even thinks to obey you. If you're someone who is lazy or carefree, don't even bother catching an Excadrill, because it will never listen to you.

When first meeting Excadrill, make the whole ordeal very serious. Sit Excadrill a metre away from you, and have your strongest Pokémon by your side. Address it calmly but with authority, and act as though you are trying to employ Excadrill as business associate rather than your own Pokémon. During your first week, ensure that all of your Pokémon act seriously and competently, as though they are all hard at work. Put any silly or light hearted Pokémon elsewhere for the time being.

If Excadrill sees that you have proven yourself stronger yet wish to speak on the same footing, plus have many Pokémon that work in a productive environment, Excadrill will submit in order to join your promising little group. It will want to work straight away, so give it some hardy jobs or enter it in a tough battling contest. As it sees that it can reach its true potential with you, it will gradually defrost into a far friendlier Pokémon.

As this happens, encourage Excadrill as much as you can to ensure it doesn't revert back into callousness. After two weeks of all this effort, you may even begin to see Excadrill smile warmly at you.

**Battling: **When it comes to battling, Excadrill are absolute monsters. No seriously, they are stupidly good. If they are in a sandstorm and are holding an Air Balloon, this Pokémon could give even the legendaries a tough time.

Fighting, Ground, Fire and Water are your weaknesses, you need to remember that. The TM Aerial Ace can retaliate against those Fighting types, and the Rock Slide that it would have known as a Drilbur will take down any Fire types. Your fellow Grounds and Water types can't really be fought against, but you can use an Air Balloon to deal with Ground types temporarily.

Sandstorm is your most vital move! Even if Excadrill doesn't know it, make sure another team member does. Excadrill's ability is Sand Rush, and with this ability Excadrill's speed is doubled in sandstorms! Given that Excadrill already has amazing speed, and the fact most opponents will be slowed by the sandstorm, with this ability Excadrill can out speed almost anything not named Skarmory. Its attack is also obscenely high, so it will easily take down almost anything! Even Gigalith panic when they see an Excadrill walking their way in a sandstorm.

If you want to make it even more impossible for your enemy to win, let Excadrill use Swords Dance. Then sit back with a glass of champagne and watch as Excadrill tears the world apart; almost literally.

Earthquake will forever be the best move to destroy everything with. Anything that isn't resistant to Ground will be messed up. Note that destructive moves like Earthquake are illegal in certain areas like towns or preserves.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Excadrill may or may not keep to itself, depending on how much promise your team showed at the first encounter. If they were tough and serious, Excadrill will probably get involved straight away and start working alongside them. Excadrill seems to get along very well with the Timburr family.

Alternately, it won't like your Pokémon if they were disobedient or sloppy. In fact, it will either tell them off and then blame you, or simply stay away from them altogether. This is why it is better to keep naughtier Pokémon away. Excadrill still distrusts Water types and will likely attack no matter how reliable they are. It does have the potential to eventually work alongside them, but for now that is a far off dream.

Other Pokémon might respect Excadrill for its strength and vigour, but others may dislike it for being serious or acting like a bully. Try portraying Excadrill in a noble or positive light.

**Warnings: **You still shouldn't hug Excadrill; one woman had to have Excadrill's horn surgically removed from her chest. Apparently it was really embarrassing for both her and the Excadrill. Don't ever directly strike Excadrill either, while it won't injure you in retaliation, it may raise its claw to defend itself and you could cut yourself on them.

**Summary: **Excadrill is a mighty force of nature that can both useful and helpful. They aren't particularly easy to control, but after you have earned their trust they are reliable bodyguards that serve you faithfully; and while they aren't very expressive, they can still become your close friend.

**Next Time… Number 037 Audino!**

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**A/N: A lot of people tell me that Generation V Pokémon are crappy appearance-wise and battle-wise. Whenever they say that, I show them Excadrill. I wasn't lying when I said it's powerful, even Smogon is afraid of it! Its combination of speed and power, which can both be boosted, is nothing to take lightly. **

**Most people like Excadrill because he looks badass. While I do admit that he is indeed badass, I think he's kinda cute too! Oh well, not many people think razor horns are cute…**

**I had a weird dream last night that there were hundreds of reviews on this story saying that I shouldn't use complicated words or adjectives… it was really weird.**

**Fun Facts: Excadrill has the highest Attack of all Steel-type Pokémon, tied with Metagross and Escavalier. It also has the highest HP of all Steel-type Pokémon, but has the lowest Defense of all Steel types.**

**It's Pokédex entries contradict themselves, Black says it helps in tunnelling, yet in White it says it is destructive to underground subways.**

**The name Excadrill is a combination of excavate and drill.**


	42. 037 Audino

**A/N: I made a short story about a sad little Audino to tie in with this chapter. It's called 'Broken Audi(N)o' if you're curious! *hint hint***

* * *

**Number: **# 037

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Hearing

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Tabunne

**Description: **Nobody takes poor Audino seriously. For countless years humans and Pokémon have trodden down upon this kind and loving Pokémon in the search for their own selfish desires. Even so, Audino cheerfully picks itself up and carries on with its life.

Everyone has to admit that Audino's plump, cuddly body is adorable, and their fluffy tail is nosebleed-inducing. The most notable part of their physique is their huge floppy ears which stick out at both sides. If you look closely you will see a small feeler extension on each ear as well. Audino have simply amazing hearing, more so than any other Pokémon in Unova. Their ears act like radars and draw in vast amounts of information, so even a blind Audino can live perfectly fine.

Audino are the natural medics of Unova, and devote their entire lives to aiding other Pokémon and humans. They gather berries to give to others, and whenever they detect an injured Pokémon or human they will rush to aid them. The feelers on Audino's ears behave much like a biological stethoscope: Audino can use these to hear someone's heartbeat, and can assess their overall health and physical condition. Reportedly, they can also sense when someone is depressed or about to commit suicide, and will always run with urgency to intervene.

Due to this, Audino traditionally work alongside Nurse Joys all across Unova in Pokémon Centres, but can also be found at hospitals and elderly rest homes. This started because one day 62 years ago, a curious Audino found a Nurse Joy attending to an injured Pokémon.

Because it saw her as a nice person, it followed her back to the Pokémon centre to watch her work, and quickly decided to stay by her side. But before it did, it rushed back into the wild to tell all the other Audino about the nice pink-haired ladies helping everyone, and in a matter of days hundreds of Audino flocked to every city in Unova looking to help people. After seeing these kind-hearted Pokémon, they quickly become regularly employed at any place that would require a medic; they are even seen at sport stadiums.

This species lives in almost every part of Unova, and every trainer is bound to encounter several in their lives. They live in small families consisting of a mother and a father, taking care of 3 – 6 young Audino. They take very good care of their children and teach them as much as they can about the world. When the young Audino have grown old enough to learn Heal Pulse, they leave home and go off on their own.

Unfortunately, many people beat up or assault Audino when one appears. Audino _never_ fights others, so if it approaches you then it was either curious, giving you berries or trying to heal you or your Pokémon. Few people realises this and attack Audino without remorse, beating it until it either faints or flees. Although some trainers take it one step further and accidentally kill Audino. Even so, Audino will not understand what it did wrong and will even stay around to apologize. Even though my title as Pokémon professor means I must stay calm and composed, I still want to punch someone in the face every time they mention how they've beat up an Audino.

**Personality: **Audino is certainly the most loving and compassionate Pokémon in Unova, and perhaps even the world. Not even Pokémon such as Simipour or Alomomola can act with as much patience as Audino. They are selfless and never take their own needs into consideration; they only care about helping as many people as they can during their lives.

Audino never get angry, and this is because they _cannot_ possibly become angered. For every species that has a brain, there is a special part of it called the amygdala. This part of the brain controls emotion such as anger. In an Audino's brain, the amygdala is far smaller and behaves differently.

To summarize, Audino have _no concept_ of anger and are unable to become angered in response, this is why they don't get mad no matter how much you beat them. Since there is no space for anger inside their psyche, other emotions such and happiness and compassion dominate.

The other function of the amygdala is to help the creature decide whether to 'fight or flight' in a dangerous situation. For example, if a huge Pokémon were about to kill you, you would instantly know the danger and the amygdala would kick in, prompting you to either fight or run away. Since Audino's amygdala isn't as efficient, 9/10 times they simply won't realise they are in danger and will continue with whatever they were doing, even if you rose a knife above Audino and said that you were going to murder it, chances are it would just smile back at you.

Audino are extremely calm and composed, and take things one step at a time. The only time they move quickly is if they sense another creature is in need of help, you would be surprised at how swiftly they can move then!

Even though they cannot become angered, they can readily become depressed if treated poorly. They think that they need to act positively all the time, so they will conceal this and hide behind a mask of cheery smiles. And because they live alone by their own volition, they readily become lonely and are desperate for friends.

Because they are so loving, Audino have a massive chance of falling for their trainer; this isn't surprising given that 80% of their thoughts are about love. When in love with their trainer, they will be noticeably affectionate, staying by your side, offering massages and other doting services. They make chains of small flowers as gifts and gather huge amounts of berries, and insist on putting them in your mouth one by one. Overall, they act like a adoring Husband/Wife even if you aren't aware of it.

**Lifespan: **They live for a healthy period of time, ranging from around 60 – 80 years, so they make suitable lifetime companions. We don't know why they live for so long, is this a reward from Arceus for enduring the cruelty of this world?

**Diet: **Naturally they eat only foods of the land, but most of what they gather is given away, or destroyed when they attempt to give it away. They really enjoy human foods however, and won't complain whatever you feed them. But go ahead and feed them some cupcakes just so you can see their happy face!

**How To Bond:** After catching an Audino, it may be confused as to what is happening. But when it realises that you want to be its friend, it will happily leap into your arms. After that, you don't need to prove yourself at all. Seriously, Audino is probably the easiest Pokémon ever to train and bond with, even better than the starters!

Even so, the Audino that you caught may suffer from psychological issues if it was treated particularly badly in the wild. Spend one night alone with just the two of you, and talk nicely to it about its life. Ask it questions relating to how it feels and how people treated it, and if it flinches during a question, you may have to help Audino recover.

Through days of being treated nicely by you, it should eventually get over any past sufferings and get on with its life. On a last note, do NOT treat your Audino poorly in anyway. These creatures are the kindest things in existence, and they definitely do not deserve to be treated badly by anything as selfish as a human.

If you abuse Audino, you have no soul. And you don't deserve to be a Pokémon trainer, or even let out of the prison you belong in. This is a statement that all professors, Gym Leaders and rangers agree with.

**Battling: **Audino strongly dislike fighting, and will simply refuse to battle even if asked to. It will regret displeasing you, but it simply cannot bring itself to harm another creature.

Even though they are no use in combat, they can still act as a support member or medic. It can use Attract to temporarily distract a foe, but note that it only works on Pokémon of an opposite gender. This isn't due to sexuality; in fact it has nothing to do with romance! It only works this way because it was originally used to trick normally unwilling Pokémon into breeding and producing babies. This is why it won't work on a human either, because humans and Pokémon cannot produce babies.

If the foe has a pesky ability, Audino can use Entrainment to remove it right away. This can pull apart teams that rely on abilities such as Sandstream.

Audino's most useful and recognised move is Heal Pulse, a move that heals a great amount of damage. Even weak Pokémon can eventually wear down stronger Pokémon if they have an Audino constantly healing them.

The only time Audino will actually fight directly is if it realises that its trainer is about to be killed. In this instance it will use unbelievably powerful moves such as Last Resort to shield its trainer. If they can't even manage this, they will simply throw themselves over their trainer until the enemy leaves, or they are killed.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Nearly every Pokémon species loves and respects Audino, as they recognise them as the caring Pokémon they are. Even normally dangerous Pokémon such as Scolipede will act politely to dear Audino. As such, they are popular and easily work alongside nearly any Pokémon. Given the fact that they will constantly heal and tend to all your Pokémon, all of them will be very grateful for this and become protective of Audino. This is another reason why you shouldn't abuse Audino; you may suddenly find yourself surrounded by a very angry mob of Pokémon, even ones that once faithfully stood by yourside.

Even so, there are some species of Pokémon that will take advantage of Audino's naïve and loving nature, and poor Audino will never realise that it is being tricked. There was once a case where a Liepard tricked an Audino to walk off a cliff and broke its legs, and still Audino didn't realise that it was being coerced.

**Warnings: **None! None at all!

**Summary: **Audino is kind, loving, protective and makes a fantastic companion. They are very common and easy to catch, and is one of the very few species that are grateful to be caught. Most Audino love their trainers more than the starters do, and will do everything in their power, including sacrificing their own lives, simply to be convenient to their trainer. I highly implore that you catch one and treat it well, because one Audino in your care is one Audino that can't be abused in the wild.

**Next Time… Number 028 Timburr!**

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**A/N: Poor Audino. Poor, poor, Audino. Damn you Game Freak you creating a species like this only to encourage gamers to abuse it.**

**Audino is such a cutie, isn't it? I would love to have one if they were real. Quite frankly, I'm glad that it also replaced those (far less cute) Chansey as the nurse's assistant. As stated in the Author's Note at the top, I felt sorry for Audino when I wrote this chapter so I made a short story to go in tandem with this chapter.**

**Fun Facts: Audino is the only Pokémon available in all patches of grass in any game. It is also only Pokémon able to learn Secret Power by leveling up.**

**Audino may be based on a rabbit, a fairy or a nurse.**

**The name Audino is a corruption of audio, but it is also derived from the phrase 'I dunno'. I often reply with 'Audino' instead of 'I dunno'.**

**Likewise, it's Japanese name (Tabunne) is derived from **_**tabun ne **_**which means 'maybe' and **_**tabun **_**which when translated into English means 'many are heard' or 'I hear many noises at once'.**


	43. 038 Timburr

**Number: **# 038

**Type: **Fighting

**Species: **Muscular

**Gender: **75% Male – 25% Female

**Japanese Name: **Dokkorer

**Description: **Timburr and its evolved forms have a slight resemblance to the Drilbur family, but have some stark differences.

The Timburr family has been around for about 2000 years. Back then, a group of them led by Gurdurr and Conkeldurr suddenly showed up at construction sites all over Unova and began helping with the construction. All the workers were confused at first, but when they realised that the Timburr simply wanted to help with no reward, they let them join without complaint. Over the years humans and Timburr have grown closer and closer, so now construction workers refer to Timburr as their 'little builder buddies' and own quite a few. Whenever construction on a new building starts, masses of them show up out of nowhere, even if there were no previous sightings in that area. No one has any evidence to prove how they know when new construction is beginning.

Some groups have been documented living in the wild, although they don't like it when we follow them back to their natural habitat. They live in groups of 8 – 14, beside 3 – 6 Gurrdurr, and led by one head Conkeldurr. Due to the gender ratio imbalance, females are rare and are contested for by all the male Timburr; at least the ones that are interested in them.

They build small shelters made out of specific materials, depending on how many of each evolution is present. Generally they are made out of concrete, with steel girders for support and with wooden posts for decoration. They are one of the very few species to build houses in a man-made fashion. It may seem like they learnt how to build these shelters from humans, but in reality they may have been the ones to teach us how to build houses…

At around one year of age they take a sharpened stone and carefully craft a large branch or small log into a rectangular post shape, and from then on they carry this timber post everywhere they go. This piece of wood is their pride and joy, and they relish to show it off to everyone, because the bigger the plank is, the stronger Timburr is. As the plank becomes easier to carry, they will throw it aside in favour of a larger one. This continues until they have gathered enough strength to evolve into Gurdurr.

**Personality: **History-wise they resemble Roggenrola, but it is personality-wise that they resemble Drilbur. Just like Drilbur, they are hardworking and serious, and put great effort into their work. But unlike Drilbur they aren't obsessed work, and actually like to take lunch breaks with their friends; this is the sort of comradeship that Drilbur lacks in its life.

They like to make friends with strong Pokémon, and they also have a strong competitive spirit. Due to this, they often seek out powerful Pokémon to battle and compare strength. They like to play rough and often get into fights, but it's all in good nature. As with most Fighting types, they look down on people who commit crimes or bad actions, and will pursue justice through their own force. Woe unto anyone who would dare steal a lunchbox at a construction site.

Most people look at Timburr and assume that it is easily angered, but this is not true. In reality they are relatively calm and mild-mannered, but will become enraged if someone questions their strength in any way.

**Lifespan: **For a fully unevolved Pokémon, they lie for a healthy amount of years. 30 – 50 years is the average. That may not be much in comparison to the human lifespan, but for a young Pokémon like Timburr that is a lot of years!

**Diet: **Timburr loves to eat hearty foods to provide the proper nutrients its body requires to evolve. As such, they like to make community stews and pastas to share with all their friends. They don't eat meat naturally, but if Basculin or Bouffalant meat is provided, they will happily eat it.

**How To Bond: **They respect the strong, but they also respect the kind. If you want to impress Timburr, you need to be either one of these, but preferably both. If you obtained a starter from (that moron) Professor Juniper, then you will want to have evolved it to its second stage, otherwise it will be too weak to impress Timburr at all.

When Timburr firsts joins your merry little group, it will probably act tough or huffily. Even so, you need to bite your lip and act kindly regardless. In this adolescent stage, it won't protest for long before it gets into the spirit of things and pitch in. If it sees you building something, its desire to construct till overtake away despondence and it will want to join; so for one or two nights try building a shelter in the wild.

Timburr will need plenty of time to practise swinging around its timber, so you need to ensure it has this opportunity every day. Otherwise Timburr will become grumpy and feel as though it is being held back.

**Battling: **Even for a young Pokémon, Timburr has decent attack potential. It uses its log of timber much like a mace, swinging it round and hitting opponents bluntly. Unfortunately this means that Timburr has few chances to move and can be a vulnerable target, and since it has its arms gripped onto the timber it has little time to shield itself. If things get serious, Timburr will throw aside its wood and fight with its bare fists, and since these fists are normally carrying around weighty bits of wood, they can pack quite a punch.

Timburr has two weaknesses, but thankfully neither is extremely common, and some moves can deal with the flying types easily anyway. Psychic types are a real concern though, as Timburr has very low Special Defense and no moves to retaliate with.

Low Kick's strength depends entirely on the weight of your enemies. This move can really do some damage if used against a large heavy Pokémon such as Gigalith, but will have very little effect up against anything small. Use this move with consideration.

Rock Throw will devastate any Flying types that you encounter; it will knock them straight out of the sky. Even one warning shot will be enough for scaring off a flock of Tranquill. Chip Away is also useful for dealing with Defensive Pokémon, as it ignores any fortifications they have made. This will sort out all those annoying Whirlipede that spam Defense Curl.

Overall Timburr is a heavy hitter but it can't take much in return, so it's best that you get it out there to deal as much damage as it can before it falls.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Timburr like to have friends, especially ones that are physically strong or adept. Even if they act tough or distanced, they won't be violent unless provoked; so at the very least try to keep any antagonistic Purrloin or Servine away.

They get along greatly with the Drilbur family, so it would be a good idea to have one of those on your team, as it would make training both of them far easier. Any other industrious Pokémon such as Pignite or Dewott would be helpful as well. It may look up upon particularly Pokémon such as Patrat, but it won't bully them.

Once it gets right into the team, it will act very brotherly alongside everyone and support anyone when they need it. Expect Timburr to get very angry should someone cross one of its newly made friends.

However they will be very distrustful of any shifty looking Pokémon and this isn't restricted to just Dark or Ghost types either!

**Warnings: **Watch where Timburr is swinging its plank when it is working out or training. A solid clunk to the head by that could give you brain damage, something that Timburr will beat itself up for constantly.

**Summary: **Timburr is a tough Pokémon that can handle itself and other Pokémon. Its hearty nature makes it a useful addition to teams and it can become a good friend if you stop to play with it. It takes a notable amount of training and skill, but once you get used to the routine it shouldn't be too hard. After evolving they become very powerful indeed, so it is worth considering having one on your team.

**Next Time… Number 039 Gurdurr!**

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**A/N: When I first saw Timburr, it looked ever so slightly cute. Until I realised all those bulging things on it (might be) veins! Since I'm squeamish when it comes to blood and organs, I was put right off, I mean what happens if one of those gets burst, which it probably could since they're on the **_**outside**_** of their body? Although it's not as bad as its evolved form…**

**Fun Facts: Timburr is an expy of Machop, and the evolved forms are likewise. It is based on a young construction worker.**

**The name Timburr is a corruption of timber. (you already knew that, right?)**

**Dokkorer is derived from **_**dokori **_**(timber) but may also be from dokkoi (heave, ho!). Japanese is an interesting language. I'm glad I'm studying it!**


	44. Celebrity Spotlight - Sexy Model Elesa

**Name: **Elesa

**Japanese Name:** Kamitsure

**Typing Specialty: **Electric

**Gender: **Female

**Description: **Elesa is known as 'The Shining Beauty', and she sure does live up to that name!

Proudly born and raised in Nimbasa City, she stands for everything that her hometown represents. Nimbasa City is a place full of bright lights and advanced technology, a place where every day is full of excitement or calm leisure, and it's got a special razzle dazzle spirit that fires up everyone that stops by.

Likewise, not only does Elesa live around bright lights and technology, she _wears_ them. Some nights when she's walking down the sparkling streets of Nimbasa you can reportedly see her hundreds of metres away!

She is not only a Gym Leader, but also a (super sexy) model, who has her own TV show and specialist catwalk. She inspired the mayor to build the Musical Theater, and was the one responsible for the construction of the Nimbasa roller-coaster and has financially supported the theme park for years. Her reason for this is as stated:

"_A theme park is a place where anyone, young or old, human or Pokémon, can experience a thrilling or fun time. As a person who strives to bring a little spark into every person's life, I want to ensure that the opportunity for them to do remains."_

What a nice person. Given that a kind spirit is usually required to be a Gym Leader, she fits the bill (and her pants!) perfectly.

A few years ago she used to have the Nimbasa Gym in her own rollercoaster, where challengers would have to ride the rollercoaster all the way to her battle stage upon which you would be battle. 12 years ago when I started out on my journey, I was too scared to ride a rollercoaster, so I never got my Bolt Badge.

Two years ago she had the Gym shifted to her own fashion show, and the battles commenced there from now on. Challengers have to walk across a huge catwalk battling all of Elesa's underlings, subjected to the prying eyes of hundreds of spectators. Apparently some really funky beats play as you march along the catwalk! My friend said something about… "Gimme what I neeeed!"

**Personality: **Even as a child, Elesa had the patience of a saint. She never gets mad, and always speaks politely to whoever is before her. When she walks and talks, she takes it one step at a time and stops to enjoy whatever there is to offer. Even when offended, she speaks very curtly, but you can tell she is not happy. You have to be a real jerk to make her mad, though.

Alternately, she gets extremely fired up when involved in battle or competition in general. It's not what it sounds like however, she is still acting elegantly, but the spirit and tone of her voice is enough to overload a power plant!

Elesa is very kind and generous, and she strongly believes that it is important to make as many people happy, as trivial as the efforts are. Apparently she can be seen offering to ride the Rendezvous Ferris Wheel with strangers when they have no one else to ride with; an example of how kind she is. She is also rather romantic, as described by many lovelorn young men. But for an unknown reason she has refrained from ever dating anyone. When questioned about this, she says she is looking for 'the right guy'.

**Battling: **Elesa focuses entirely on tactics for her battle, but just like all structured tactics it call all come tumbling down when you throw a spanner in the works.

All three of her Pokémon, Emolga, Flaaffy and Zebstrika, all know the TM Volt Switch. This move deals damage and then switches another opponent in, thus protecting the previous Pokémon from whatever damage you intended to deal. This technique is very effective and can wear your Pokémon down while all hers laugh teasingly, so you need to intervene.

Normally Ground type moves would be the way to go, but her lead Pokémon Emolga is immune to Ground moves. Instead, you should consider using a Rock type. Stealth rock is a good move to start off with, as it discourages her Pokémon from Volt Switching in the first place. Smack Down is another great move to use against Emolga, because it will knock it right out of the air and thus be unable to switch out, not to mention become a vulnerable target.

If you do use Rock types to fight, remember that her Zebstrika knows Flame Charge, something that can revenge-kill any of your Rock types immediately.

Overall, beating her takes a little bit of patience and prompted intellect, but if you think things out carefully you can tear her apart.

**With Pokémon: **She cares deeply for her Pokémon, and treats them like family. She has owned her Zebstrika since she was a little girl, and they have become inseparably close. Elesa will _not_ tolerate any sort of cruelty towards Pokémon, and has been fighting Pokémon poachers for years now. She has been known to hunt down abusive trainers and give them thorough thrashings, and reportedly this unseen side of Elesa is terrifying!

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Skyla!**

* * *

**A/N: Elesa is my favourite Gym Leader ever, and it's not just because she's pretty. Electric types are my favourite, and I personally like bright lights and flashy stuff as well. Nimbasa sounds like heaven! The music that plays as you walk along the catwalk is awesome; if you haven't yet played Black2/White2 you're in for a treat!**

**Also one last thing: GIMME WHAT I NEEEEEED!**

**Fun Facts: Elesa is the only female Electric-type Gym Leader, and is the only Gym Leader from Black/White to receive a redesign.**


	45. 039 Gurdurr

**Number: **# 039

**Type: **Fighting

**Species:** Muscular

**Gender: **75% Male – 25% Female

**Japanese Name: **Dotekkotsu

**Description: **Were you surprised when Timburr evolved into this big fellow? Or were you surprised when you encountered one in the wild? Due to their appearance many people are surprised when they first see this hulking Pokémon.

Gurdurr is far stronger than its previous form, and it makes this very obvious. Strangely, its new body takes on a specific shape as if it had the intention of becoming stronger before it even evolved. The most obvious definition is the new torso, which is in a peculiar hourglass shape. This design will allow Gurdurr's body to distribute any stress on the upper half down to the lower body so it can cope with larger weights. In comparison to the rest of its body, it has tiny feet. Although they are small, they are evenly spaced and this allows Gurdurr to have a sturdy support, something that is important for a creature of its build.

You would have certainly noticed the immensely bulbous pink bands and swells all over its body, and may have mistaken them for veins. While they do contain a large amount of blood vessels, their actual purpose is to provide support for all of the various muscles, otherwise Gurdurr's own muscles would be too much for it to handle.

Due to these features, they have well earned their title as the Muscular Pokémon. Even huge swarms of mighty human men cannot make a Gurdurr budge in the slightest, and can all be sent flying with one flick of the girder. They can even lift a Krookodile over their shoulder with no effort.

The requirement for them to evolve was to be able to easily lift a large piece of Timburr around. But in this form, something so light will simply not do. Shortly after evolving they toss aside the plank that they practised with and search for a steel girder. Since they are usually around construction sites, they aren't that hard to find. Any other equally heavy object will suffice, but they strongly prefer steel girders, so you should really seek one out at the first opportunity that you can, or better yet have one set aside before it has even evolved!

**Personality: **After the evolutionary process, a Pokémon has an entirely new body, including a new brain (or cognitive organ) and this usually results in an altered personality. Gurdurr and its family line are an exception, as they exhibit almost no changes in personality over this process.

They are generally quite up-beat and don't allow anything to deter them from getting stronger or having a good time with their friends. Gurdurr are also very determined and steadfast in their opinions, and will take down anything in their path to reach their ideals, or the ideals of their trainers; some say that the Gurdurr look up to the legendary Zekrom for this reason. When they set their mind on something, they don't let up; and will continue arduously until their work quota is complete.

Many people assume that Gurdurr are violent Pokémon simply by looking at their appearance, but this is a huge blunder. In reality Gurdurr are earnest and good-willed, and have a strong sense of justice. Reportedly criminals sometimes approach Gurdurr in the interest of using their strength for criminal purposes, only to find themselves throw over Gurdurr's shoulder and taken to the police station!

As nice as they are, they are still very prideful and like to boast about their strength. They don't take kindly to people who insult their strength or capabilities.

**Lifespan: **They normally reach an average age of between 50 – 70 years. This means that they can grow old alongside their trainer if they choose not to evolve.

**Diet: **As a Timburr they were almost entirely vegetarian, but at the rate that they are now growing they certainly need meat. In the wild they make stone pots and utensils to cook with, and hunt down Pokémon for food. Then they start a fire and cook the meat in a variety of ways. They are one of the few species that uses tools to build and cook, although this may be because they fit into the human-like egg group.

In your care, they will expect to be fed meat. Other foods will suffice as side dishes, but the main meal always needs to be some sort of meat, otherwise they won't get the nutrients vital for growing strong. In human settlements you can simply stop at any shop to buy already made foods, but in the wild you may have to learn how to skin a Patrat. Gurdurr can cook everything itself, but it will see you as uncaring or selfish if you don't lend a hand.

**How To Bond: **Supporting Gurdurr's plight to become stronger is the best way to bond with it. The first steps can be a little rocky if you evolved it from a Timburr, as its first priority is finding a steel girder to carry around. If you visit a construction site with your new Gurdurr, the builders there will happily hand one over, as most of them had to go through the same thing. Be advised that some of the Gurdurr already present may want to battle your Gurdurr to test its strength. It doesn't matter if you lose these battles since Gurdurr is still adapting to its new body.

From there on out it is simply a matter of allowing Gurdurr to train, battle and work out frequently it increase its own power. It will need at least 4 hours a day devoted to working out, but this can be done while walking, so don't worry about having to stop constantly. As a result it will need a _lot _of food and rest to catch up for all these exhausting workouts. Taking care of a Gurdurr is not an easy task, and there will be many days where you are simply too exhausted. Additionally, Gurdurr will want many battles to frequently assess how its strength is developing.

But bonding with a Pokémon isn't entirely a physical thing; you need to interact with your Pokémon on a personal level too. Congratulate Gurdurr whenever it achieves something noteworthy, and always stand ready to support Gurdurr whenever it needs it. Gurdurr will feel so much better about itself when it knows it can rely on you in a pinch.

**Battling: **Gurdurr love to battle, even more than they love to build! They will never turn down a challenge, unless you insist.

Gurdurr fights with its girder much like how Timburr fought with its timber, in the fact that it swigs it like a blunt weapon to fight foes. This technique is useful as it allows Gurdurr to shield itself from Flying attacks and fend off any aerial enemies. Additionally, Gurdurr can learn many rock type moves to further persuade any Flying types to stay away.

But due to Gurdurr's lumbering weight and low Special Defense, Psychic types are a real bane. For the most part it is simply not worth sending Gurdurr out to fight one, with the exceptions of Sigilyph and the Woobat family; as both are part Flying type and are thus weak to Gurdurr's rock moves.

Bulk up is a very important move, as it will boost Gurdurr's already powerful Attack and Defense. Giving yourself an edge over your opponent like this is very useful. Dynamic Punch has low accuracy, but should it hit it will always confuse the foe. When they are in this vulnerable state beating them is much easier. Finally, Scary Face frightens the enemy and lowers their speed, putting the generally slow Gurdurr on equal footing.

It can handle itself against most Pokémon and in most situations, but it's up to you to use discernment to ensure victory.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Gurdurr are very companionable Pokémon and like to use teamwork rather than work individually, and this is where the Drilbur and Timburr families behave differently.

Since you are the leader, Gurdurr will put you in top priority and ensure that no other Pokémon questions your authority. If you have a particularly resilient Pokémon that refuses to obey, Gurdurr may simply beat it into submission. Depending on the circumstances, this can solve the issue or make it even worse!

They have been observed helping other Pokémon train and battle, so you may be surprised to see that your younger Pokémon have learnt some new moves! In response, many smaller Pokémon look up to Gurdurr as a big brother, and will cluster around it when frightened. If you abuse any of them, Gurdurr may forcibly remove them from your possession and take them all elsewhere.

Fortunately they don't have any suspicions when it comes to other Pokémon, and treat others equally regardless of the circumstances; but if they feel that a certain Pokémon is threatening the group, it may take power into its own hands.

**Warnings: **Getting hit by Timburr's wood would give you a concussion. Getting hit by Gurdurr's girder would kill you. Certainly.

**Summary: **Gurdurr can be exhausting to train and care for, but it returns the favour by being powerful in battle and supportive in life. If you can handle a handful, then think about getting one. If you prefer low maintenance Pokémon, then there are lots of other species for you to catch.

**Next Time… Number 040 Conkeldurr!**

* * *

**A/N: I'll be honest; this chapter was the hardest yet. Mostly because there isn't many differences from Timburr… What on earth am I going to say about Conkeldurr?! The grass on the Venipede side of the fence seems greener…**

**Fun Facts: Gurdurr is similar to Machoke; both are Fighting-type Pokémon with a base stat total of 405 whose final evolution is triggered by trading.**

**Gurdurr weighs the same as Ethan, Latias and Clefable.**

**It is based on a construction worker, but may also be based on a muscleman from a carnival. Its name is derived from 'girder' which is what it carries.**


	46. 040 Conkeldurr

**Number: **# 040

**Type: **Fighting

**Species: **Muscular

**Gender: **75% Male – 25% Female

**Japanese Name: **Roubushin

**Description: **It was Gurdurr that resembled Drilbur, but this enormous Pokémon slightly resembles Gigalith instead.

According to gathered information, Conkeldurr and its younger relatives first began interacting with humans around 2000 years ago. Evan all those years ago Conkeldurr had a great relationship alongside humanity, and have remained that way since. They taught human builders and construction crews how to compose and make concrete, leading to a massive advance in human construction. If Conkeldurr had refrained from teaching us their trade, we all might still be living in clay huts! We still do not know why they even bothered teaching us such an important thing, other than out of pure kindness.

Just like Gigalith, Conkeldurr evolves through trading. But in order for Gigalith to actually evolve, the process requires trading via a proper trading machine; whereas Conkeldurr can evolve through any sort of agreed trade.

Gigalith require a specific energetic signal to trigger the evolutionary process; and through our knowledge we believe that they never could evolve into Gigalith before our intervention. Conkeldurr meanwhile have been evolving themselves for thousands of years without human interaction, so this is clearly nothing new to their species. We believe the trigger for evolution lies in the act of joining other groups or teams, or bonding with someone new.

Our evidence for this theory is that Gurdurr have only been witnessed evolving when leaving their settlement and joining another, whether it is a Pokémon one or a human one. Likewise, they only evolve in human captivity when going from one trainer to another. Conkeldurr are an extremely sociable Pokémon, and this extension of friendship gives them the power to evolve. It's a pretty flimsy suggestion, but it's all we have currently.

**Personality: **As a Gurdurr they were obsessed with strength and it was a major focus of their life, but now as a Conkeldurr it has wizened up a lot and has taken on a far more relaxed, observant attitude; you will certainly be taken off guard by the sudden changes!

We believe this happens because such a huge amount of strength is gained upon evolving into Conkeldurr that it far exceeds what Gurdurr was hoping to obtain; and thus it realises that it no longer needs to seek power. Furthermore saying goodbye to their friends and greeting new ones is a sharp wake-up call and reminds them that friends are very important, something they already knew as a Gurdurr.

In the wild a Gurdurr trades places with another Gurdurr and evolves into Conkeldurr, obtaining leadership over whatever tribe it just joined. All Timburr and Gurdurr have great respect for this new leader and listen to whatever they have to say.

It has a lot of spare time now that it no longer constantly develops its body, so it devotes that time to developing relationships with others and sharing any knowledge it has gathered over its long life. Even though it now has an amazingly mighty body, it rarely exhorts its own power. In the wild, the only time Conkeldurr will fight will be to defend its tribe if under attack, or to scare off any potential invaders. Under the ownership of a human, it will obviously fight a lot more during battles, but will also scare off anyone it deems as a threat to its dear trainer.

To summarize, Conkeldurr is a mighty powerhouse that refrains from showing power unless needed, and would rather share its knowledge and live peacefully with its tribe or trainer. A.K.A a gentle giant.

**Lifespan: **Conkeldurr are a very long-lived species, most specimen reach 70 – 150 years of age. This is an indication of its wisdom as it may have lived long enough to see an entire generation pass.

**Diet: **Occasionally they will abstain from food for a few days, we can't fully explain this but it may have something to do with its peaceful disposition. It prefers to stick to basic but nutritious foods such as bread, pasta, rice and fruits, and will only eat another Pokémon should they face starvation. This is somewhat counterintuitive as they require the nutrients in food to do well. Human foods such as bread will do them just fine, but try to sneak in an occasional piece of meat.

**How To Bond: **This varies on how you obtained Conkeldurr, breaking up into two paths: Did you trade it then trade it back, or simply get one in a trade? Or did you get it from the wild?

Catching one from the wild is extremely difficult and unrewarding; because Conkeldurr is extremely devoted to its tribe and will return to them no matter what you do. Instead, you can offer food or supplies to the tribe in return for Conkeldurr's cooperation. Doing it this way can avoid huge conflict and chaos, I promise.

Once Conkeldurr has switched to your team, it is totally devoted to you regardless of how obtained it. If you retained it in a trade then you simply have your old friend back. If you got a foreign one in a trade then it will already be experienced in dealing with humans and will use that knowledge to help you as best it can. If you got it from the wild then it will be trusting enough, but you still need to prove yourself.

It is no longer concerned with battling or growing, so you don't have to worry about intensive training every day. Instead, it will want to develop its bond with you and your Pokémon, and would rather help your other Pokémon get stronger instead of itself. Do note that Conkeldurr will want _some _time to practise by itself, just not as much as before.

It will want to be at the very front of any projects requiring strength or teamwork, any situation will do. This is a good way for Conkeldurr to get to know your other Pokémon as it works alongside them.

**Battling: **Even though Conkeldurr is very strong, it rarely uses its strength when battling. Instead, it uses a tactful approach of utilizing the centrifugal force of spinning around on their concrete. In other words, they spin on the concrete pillars they carry to deliver powerful blows without even using their own power. Due to this they often look very relaxed and unconcerned when battling.

With Stone Edge now under Conkeldurr's belt, no Flying types would dare pick a fight with it. Most would avoid a fight with it just by appearance alone.

Hammer Arm is a very powerful move, but beware of the exhaustion it can inflict on Conkeldurr. It should be reserved as a finishing move. Focus Punch is even stronger, but requires Conkeldurr to prepare itself, leaving it vulnerable to attack beforehand, and Superpower is equally strong but leaves Conkeldurr tired afterwards.

Overall Conkeldurr is a heavy hitter but can't stay out for long, so you need to get him out there, deal as much damage as he can, and then switch him out to recover.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **The Conkeldurr species is seen as an 'elder' species both in the wild and in human captivity. They are generally wise and tactful, and many Pokémon come to them for advice. Many of your Pokémon will consult Conkeldurr for advice prior to doing something risky, and Conkeldurr will be happy to oblige. It should do a good job of making itself popular without your interference, so don't worry.

**Warnings: **None. You don't have to worry about concrete pillars being swung about.

**Summary: **Conkeldurr is very powerful, resourceful, and wise. They are protective of both their trainers and allies, and will use every ounce of conserved energy to protect them. They are also relatively easy to take care of and can help you manage your other unruly Pokémon. A very helpful Pokémon to have indeed!

**Next Time… Number 041 Tympole!**

* * *

**A/N: Even though Conkeldurr is ugly as hell I think it got a little justice here. I prefer fast Pokémon so it's not the kind of Pokémon I would use in battle. Also, Conkeldurr is a sterling example of why you shouldn't judge a Pokémon's gender by its physical appearance. (Although there are exceptions.)**

**Fun Facts: It is based on a construction worker with a back injury, but may also be based on western ogres or trolls (trololol?) but may also be based on a muscleman from a carnival. **

**The name Conkeldurr may derive from **_**concrete **_**and **_**elder**_** but may also come from **_**conk**_**.**

_**Robushin **_**may come from **_**ro (old)**_** and **_**bushin (warlord)**_** but may also come from **_**hushin (construction work) **_**The Japanese are awesome with words aren't they?**


	47. 041 Tympole

**Number: **# 041

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Tadpole

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Otamaro

**Description: **Tympole are an endemic species located across various parts of Unova, and can provide quite a nuisance for humans.

Tympole are seen most commonly at the Moor Of Iccurus and around Pinwheel forest, but can be seen almost anywhere during the rainy seasons or after flooding. They live in massive swarms of around 50 – 120 Tympole led by a handful of Palpitoad or Seismitoad. While weak individually, in numbers these swarms can easily overpower even a Druddigon if given an opportune moment to strike.

For an unevolved species, they are incredibly coordinated and vicious. If anything enters water in their territory they will rally each other and attack enmasse until the invader has been removed. Reports sometimes come in stating how someone fell into water and saw many Pokémon swimming towards them, only to wake up hours later on the shore miles away from where they fell into the water. Due to this aggressive behaviour they can make the lives of Pokémon rangers quite a hassle!

Tympole have a small and relatively featureless body. The most noticeable part is their huge face, which takes up most of their form. Their large mouth lets them take in volumes of food particles that float around in the water; this form of eating is similar to filter feeding. They also have large deep black eyes, which allow them to see deep into the water even when it is muddied due to a protective film, much like a fish's. A single tail made of cartilage can proper them through the water at rapid rates and gives them the dexterity to made marsh turns anywhere, out-swimming Tympole is a very hard feat to complete.

There are two large 'bumps' sitting on the side of Tympole's head, and these function as both ears and a form of communication. Inside them lies a series of fine muscles suspended in a sinuous liquid, which are extremely sensitive to vibrations and noise. Whenever a vibration travels across the water, Tympole can instantly sense these and react accordingly. The muscles inside the bumps can also spasm and give off their own vibrations. This is how Tympole communicate with the rest of the swarm, different series of vibrations mean different things and thus Tympole can construct many different statements over long distances.

The first thing you probably saw when you caught Tympole was its absurd eyebrows. These eyebrows serve no other purpose than to express emotions, but this can be important if Tympole is unable to communicate with others through vibrations.

**Personality: **When they are alongside their pack Tympole are very aggressive and indignant, and will savagely fight you with all its strength. But when you have caught it and moved away, it will be very docile and friendly. This is because they always work in cooperation with the rest of their swarm against intruders, and since the lead Palpitoad or Seismitoad gives the commands, they are all equally antagonistic. But when they are removed from the swarm and are thus no longer following Palpitoad's/Seimsitoad's command to attack, they will have no reason to fight you. Be warned that if you encounter another swarm, Tympole may suddenly start tuning in with that swarm and retaliate against you.

Tympole are a rather simple and quiet species individually, and will calmly stick with the group and obey commands. Note that it only takes commands with which it deems the leader, so if you have an egotistical Snivy you may find Tympole following Snivy rather than you.

They seem to have a rather bland personality in comparison to most Pokémon, and they don't really think for themselves. They also have a slightly lower IQ than other Pokémon, but this changes when they evolve, so perhaps they are patiently waiting for that.

**Lifespan: **The Tympole phase is intended to be a temporary phase only, so it is expected that they evolve relatively quickly. If unable to evolve, they will only live to be 3 – 6 old. Making Tympole evolve into Palpitoad requires an inconsequential amount of effort, but you should still evolve it at the first opportunity you can.

**Diet: **Tympole have their own peculiar way of feeding; it closely resembles filter feeding but it is not entirely so. They take in large gulp or water and process all of the tiny pieces of food that float in. They need to do this a _lot_ in order to gain a sufficient amount of nutrition. Alternately they will eat weeds water weeds growing or any other edibles that fall into the water. They prefer their way of filter feeding instead, which is strange as the normal foods are far more productive. Perhaps they don't like the flavours?

**How To Bond:** Tympole are an aquatic Pokémon, and thus you can only really let them out of their pokeball and into water. They _can_ live on land, but they can only hop around with great effort. It would be rather cruel to force Tympole to flop around like that.

As stated before, they aren't particularly intelligent and are content to follow the leader's orders, so you don't actually have to worry about them having any complaints. Even so, they will still do their best to conserve themselves and if they feel that staying with you will result in their death, they will run away at the first chance they get. I doubt it would ever get that bad, though.

Tympole will need plenty of time swimming around in water, but you will want to be careful of lakes and such where Tympole more Tympole might dwell, otherwise you will never see you own one ever again.

If you always have access to water then Tympole is tremendously easy to take care of; save all the hard work for when it evolves into a Palpitoad.

**Battling: **Tympole are very weak when fighting by themselves, and yours will be very confused as it not fighting alongside a swarm as per usual. Until it evolves you should keep it out of most battles, and only let it fight when it clearly has an advantage; and don't send it out to fight on land… that would be a very stupid thing to do.

Aqua Ring is a good way to get things started if you feel that it's going to be a tough battle, as it will slow down their advance a little. Supersonic can go well with this if it manages to inflict confusion; a confused foe in water is an easy target. As a finishing move you can either pick Bubble Beam or Mud Shot depending on the foe's typing, both have a tiny chance of lowering the foe's speed, another appreciated boost for Tympole.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Tympole always goes with the flow, of the swarm, that is. Most of your other Pokémon will probably see Tympole as a dimwit and not take it seriously, but that doesn't really matter since Tympole won't care or even notice. Sine Tympole will spend all its time in water, most of your Pokémon will have little interaction with it anyway. If it sees everyone doing something as a group, then it will instinctively want to take part as well, although it probably won't be of any use.

Overall, Tympole should have no issues with all your Pokémon. Be careful of some carnivorous Pokémon such as Liepard though, as they may pass it off as a snack.

**Warnings: **Check to see if a body of water has a natural population of Tympole or not before letting Tympole into it, otherwise say goodbye to your little friend!

**Summary: **Tympole is a rather weak and pointless Pokémon until it evolves, so it would be better to catch a Palpitoad instead. If you really want one of these creatures, you might want to stick to watery areas, otherwise poor Tympole will be miserable. Also, don't poke its eyebrows.

**Next Time… Number 042 Palpitoad!**

* * *

**A/N: When I first saw Tympole in my Pokémon White, I wondered just what the hell I was looking at. It just looked like a… **_**bouncing face!**_

**On an unrelated note, Tympole, or Otamaro in Japanese, is a **_**massive**_** meme in the Japanese community, most notable Pixiv. I suggest you Google 'Otamaro meme' and have a look. The Japanese are really fanatical with their memes, aren't they?**

**Fun Facts: Tympole and its family are an expy of the Poliwag family; both are Water-type Pokémon based on tadpoles that first evolve at level 25.**

**It also shares its species name with the Poliwag family. Is Game Freak trying to tell us something?**

**Despite not being able to walk on land, Tympole can be found in grass patches just outside Pinwheel Forest. **_**(Maybe it's coming after you!)**_

**Tympole's appearance may be based on both a tadpole and a loudspeaker, the loudspeakers being symbolised by 'warts' that a frog would have. The bumps also look like headphones and its eyebrows resemble musical notes.**


	48. 042 Palpitoad

**Number: **# 042

**Type: **Water - Ground

**Species: **Vibration

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gamagaru

**Description: **When Tympole has finally evolved into this new form, it bravely takes its first few timid steps onto solid land. Palpitoad is very excited upon this new opportunity and will take quite a while to calm down. But it's totally understandable; if you grew wings and could fly you'd be excited too, right?

Palpitoad has a rather smooth featureless body with few defining features. It is very proud of its new feet, even though they are very tiny. Due to their design, Palpitoad can only waddle quickly or leap about, limiting its mobility out of water. It still has a thin tapered tail that still allows it to swiftly navigate the water in an agile manner.

It now has a multitude of bumps all over its body, most prominently on its head. These served as a form of communication during the Tympole stage, and they still serve the same purpose, just in a different method. These bumps are now strong enough to cause small earthquakes or cause small fluctuations of waves in water, and it is these manipulations of land and water that send information to others. Most of their lives are spent still in the water but they do frequently trek onto land for varying reasons. When on land they are rather panicky and prefer not to fight, fleeing back to the water instead. But should a foe follow them into the water, that's where things get rough.

Upon evolving Palpitoad either remains in its own swarm and ascends to the status of leader, or leaves and starts their own small swarm composed of other Tympole and Palpitoad. And thus the cycle of life continues for the Palpitoad species.

**Personality: **A wild Palpitoad is relatively aggressive creature. Normally a Pokémon in a position such as Palpitoad would be this way solely for the protection of its group, but Palpitoad acts this way simply to bolster its ego. They are quite arrogant now that they are a leader, and usually make their underlings attack invaders just so Palpitoad can increase its reputation in the surrounding area.

A Palpitoad that has evolved under your care will be very different; since it cannot assume command over the group, it will remain very docile. It may however attempt to pick fights with wild Pokémon wherever you go, so interactions with wild Pokémon should be watched closely. Strangely, they are nearly always smiling placidly even when attacking, giving the strangest appearance of a happy killer.

Other than that they are very dopey and docile, content to go with the flow of the team unless they see an opportunity to augment their own ego, upon which they will deviate from the ideals and plans of the rest of the team. If they are angered (an occurrence that rarely occurs) they will briskly vibrate their bumps and cause small earthquakes to display their rising anger.

**Lifespan: **Palpitoad receives a little reprisal concerning lifespan upon evolution, as it now can live up to 14 years of age. This is still far shorter than most Pokémon lifespans however.

**Diet: **Palpitoad clearly got tired of eating food particles all its life as a Tympole, since it now preys on Bug type and fish Pokémon. They usually hide in th4e reeds bordering their homewater and wait for Bugs to approach the water for a drink. Palpitoad have a very long, elastic and sticky tongue that they use to disable foes and draw them back into Palpitoad's mouth. It may not seem like it, but Palpitoad can fit large Pokémon such as Swadloon into its mouth.

Your Palpitoad will be happy to eat berries and Pokémon pellets, but it will still instinctively want to hunt for its food. Try and allow Palpitoad to earn its own meals this way at least twice a week, otherwise it might start preying on your smaller Pokémon…

**How To Bond: **Even if you just caught it from the wild moments ago, it will faithfully follow your orders, as though you've been friends for years. Many trainers are thrown off guard by this sudden acceptance of dominance, but this is just a part of Palpitoad's psyche. In Palpitoad's mind, it is either a leader or a follower, and since it (hopefully) cannot assume command over you and your Pokémon, it will be content to follow.

Even so, Palpitoad will need lots of time to splash around in water, and fight many battles to strengthen itself, before it comes to actually like you. They are a moderately sociavle creature and will require interaction with other Pokémon, regardless of whether it is hostile or friendly. The latter would be far more preferable, as it is a very bad idea to develop a bad name for yourself among wild Pokémon; you may suddenly find a whole horde descending upon you out of nowhere.

If you feed Palpitoad well and let it play on its own terms, then it will come to like you enough. They don't really seem to be interesting in talking and sharing feelings like most Pokémon.

**Battling: **Palpitoad's stats are well balanced, so you can choose to specialize in whatever particular stat you want to. Palpitoad does it's absolute best in water, so battles should be diverted to water whenever they can. Caves are a double-edged sword, as Palpitoad has a typing advantage over all the residents, but is inhibited by the unfamiliar landscape.

The dual combination of Water – Ground gives Palpitoad a handful of resistances, one immunity and one weakness, making it a very variable Pokémon typing-wise. However its sole weakness of Grass is extremely crippling and can spell doom for Palpitoad if you aren't careful. Grass types and hybrids are relatively common too, so keep a prying eye on what typing your enemies are.

Muddy Water is now your strongest attack, and can lower your opponent's accuracy. It can also wash them right away if you're in the right circumstances, ad can damage multiple foes, and it's certainly your best move yet. Rain Dance will summon rain to assist you in battle, making Palpitoad faster in battle. Try combining this with a Muddy Water to wreak some serious havoc.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Palpitoad will just hover around in the background, playing idly with your other Pokémon whenever it chooses. Due to that and its laidback nature, everyone should be fine with it. Some more arrogant species may see that as a weakness try and bully Palpitoad, only to receive a harsh reprisal!

Keep a sharp eye on your Bug types, as Palpitoad may try and eat them. Don't let the two of them remain together without observance, or you may come back to find one fat Palpitoad. As they work together Palpitoad may come to realise that your little bugs are more than just a meal.

**Warnings: **None. Palpitoad is probably too deep in thought to even consider hurting you.

**Summary: **Palpitoad is a simple and easy to care for in the most part. If you're a beginner trainer it may cause you some trouble if it thinks it can overwhelm you, but otherwise you should be fine. It's a balanced Pokémon that can be used by most people and doesn't require any particular strategy, so it's ok to consider getting one after your first or second badge.

**Next Time… Number 043 Seismitoad!**

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**A/N: I seriously had no idea what to do with this chapter; it was a real slog to get through. My enthusiasm should pick up again after a few more chapters…**

**On an unrelated note I noticed that the reviews stopped dead… Did the guide become uninteresting?**

**Fun Facts: It shares the same species name with Seismitoad and Vibrava.**

**It's based on a tadpole and loudspeakers, but may also be based on the Surinam toad. (Note: I had a look at Surinam toads on Wikipedia, and all I have to say is disgusting. .ting!)**

**Its name is based on palpitation and toad.**


	49. 043 Seismitoad

**Number: **# 043

**Type: **Water – Ground

**Species: **Vibration

**Gender: **50% Male - 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gamageroge

**Description: **Seismitoad were once known as the terror of the swamp. Two centuries ago hundreds of people would vanish mysteriously each year as they explored the native swamps of Unova; the only evidence of their death was giant webbed footmarks and drag marks leading into the boggy water. Children were warned to stay away from the water, or else the croaking, red eyed monster would drag them deep into the mire.

In recent years we have developed the technology to search deeper into previously enigmatic places and uncover mysteries, and Seismitoad is one of them. And with our new bolsters in power and adaptability it is no longer the bane it once was, although they still prove a serious threat to lone trainers.

Seismitoad usually stick to themselves, hiding away from prying eyes deep within bogs and marshes. Some may take over a Palpitoad or Tympole swarm by brutal action and force them to do its bidding while it lazes around. When two Seismitoad encounter each other, they either battle savagely, or team up to cause havoc. When this happens, every other resident of the area shudders in fear.

It has at least 12 different bumps on its body, and each one is now an individual organ. Smaller organelles devote their function to one of two alternate effects; vibration or poison. Seismitoad have very potent venom which is squirted at a foe, these squirts of venom are very fast and high powered. Once the venom has come into contact with the foe, it saturates in through the skin and makes it way straight to the nervous and cardiovascular systems. In a matter of seconds the target goes into shock and their body systems start to shut down, until they have become comatose; making them an easy target for Seismitoad to finish off. This may sound terrifying, but Seismitoad will only use this when hunting for food or as a last resort in battle.

The other function is the well-known usage of vibrations. The reverberations caused from these bumps are enough to cause earthquakes strong enough to cause moderate damage to a house. When throwing punches at an enemy (their usual style of fighting) Seismitoad vibrates these bumps to inflict extra damage by matching the resonant frequency of the target. The effect of this is extremely devastating; in building this causes intense damage to the infrastructure, causing collapse. For living creatures this can cause internal damage, most notably internal bleeding or ruptured organs.

Seismitoad are a dangerous Pokémon that must _not_ be trifled with.

**Personality: **Seismitoad's personality is different from its former evolutions by an extreme degree. As a Tympole and Palpitoad it was rather aggressive but normally good natured, whereas now it is a dangerous monster that strikes fear into every Pokémon's heart. They beat back anything that approaches them and isn't afraid to use brutal tactics to get their way, it's really fortunate that none are found near human settlements. They aren't naturally evil though, they have just simply not learnt how to act gently or take other's into consideration, due to their reclusion and upbringing. You could say that they are a misguided brute, perhaps.

That is restricted to wild Seismitoad only, however. A Seismitoad that has been raised as a Palpitoad or Tympole will be far more compliant, to the point where they resemble a misunderstood gentle giant rather than a vehement monstrosity. They are still a bit rough, but that is simply because it has simply not realised its own strength.

**Lifespan: **It's lifespan is another factor that increases dramatically upon evolution; Seismitoad have been known to live up to 60 years! That's a much longer time than Palpitoad's 14 year life expectancy. No one is able to explain why this occurs just yet.

**Diet: **They are almost purely carnivorous, but will eat vegetation or Pokémon pellets if starving. It can eat a small collection of Pokémon per meal, so in the wild you will have to let Seismitoad wander off to feed for itself. It human cities where wild prey are not abundant, Seismitoad will be content to eat human foods for a few days, but will grow restless if unable to hunt for a while.

**How To Bond: **It is almost impossible to bond with a wild Seismitoad, let alone capture one. By the time it has reached this mature stage, it will have already closed its mind to external opinions and as a result it will simply retaliate whenever you try and order it around, or even speak to it! It won't be afraid to act violently once it tires of you, so by trying to train one you are laying your life on the line.

One the other hand, an evolved domesticated Seismitoad is almost the opposite. It will be very close to you and hold you in high regard, since you have been its leader and empowered it to evolve into the creature it is now.

Trained Seismitoad do not speak very much, but they do have deep feelings for their trainer that seldom rise up to the surface. Due to this your Seismitoad may appear to not like you, or even dislike you, but this is not the case. It may take a while, but you will eventually learn what Seismitoad is feeling even when it does not make it evident, this is one of the magical bonds between Pokémon and trainer.

Having some one-on-one time together would be very productive, as Seismitoad will actually have an interest in talking, unlike Palpitoad. Some recent tests have proven that Seismitoad are more efficient in battle when they are close to their trainer, so this is a rewarded effort.

**Battling: **Seismitoad is a very balanced Pokémon, not specialising in any particular stat, and this also means that it has no weak points either. It's only weakness of Grass is still a concern, but if you teach Seismitoad the right moves that can easily be dealt with. Seismitoad usually fights with its bare fists, augmented by vibration. These punches can inflict catastrophic damage on an enemy, so before battling you may have to teach Seismitoad how to withhold its power so it doesn't kill anybody.

As a last resort, Seismitoad can hit the enemy with the potent venom from its bumps. This venom is always lethal, so it will only use this in desperation.

If you want to deal with Grass type foes via Poison moves without resorting to Seismitoad's deadly venom, you can teach it the TM Poison Jab. This combines the power of both poison and its powerful punches, but removes the lethal aspect. This is a sure fire way to win most battles against Pokémon who don't resist Poison moves!

If Seismitoad is feeling run down, a quick Drain Punch will perk it right back up! This move steals energy from the enemy and bestows it to Seismitoad, so this is a great way to turning unfavourable battles around.

Hydro Pump is your strongest move, and is backed up by STAB. This little buster will send a throng of enemies blasting off like a rocket, leaving nothing but a twinkle in the sky.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **A wild Seismitoad would probably maim or eat all of your Pokémon before returning to the wild moments after you caught it, another reason why not to catch one.

Trained Seismitoad are reasonably protective of their friends, and will protect them should they need it. It will most likely be seen standing in the background, watching over them patiently. For the most part it probably won't interact intimately, as that really isn't its style.

Most Pokémon will appreciate the comfort of a guardian, but this may frighten some newcomers as they will feel Seismitoad is watching them with bad intentions. It's not a good idea to let paranoia simmer like this, so telling your newly captured pals that Seismitoad is a sort of bodyguard will put their minds at ease and allow them to get along well.

It will also break up any fights or quarrels with a single warning croak too, so it is ideal for keeping unruly Pokémon such as Pansear in order.

**Warnings: **Whatever you do, don't hug or tightly squeeze Seismitoad. You may accidentally force some of the venom out and poison yourself, resulting in your death. Not only that, but Seismitoad will hate itself for unwillingly getting you killed.

**Summary: **Capturing a wild Seismitoad is extremely deadly, and should only be attempted by expert trainers. It may sound unimportant to you, but risking your life for one Pokémon is simply not worth it. Please, take this advice from an experienced Pokémon professor, even that moron Juniper would agree with me.

If you really want one that bad, capture a Tympole or Palpitoad. They won't injure you, are much easier to train, and the extra time spent together will ensure better times when they are a Seismitoad.

A properly trained Seismitoad is a huge asset and will come in handy in many different circumstances. As long as it has its venom in reserve, you can guarantee that nothing will have the opportunity to kill you. Note that venom can only injure things that actually have a bloodstream, so inorganic Pokémon such as Gigalith are exempt from this.

**Next Time… Number 044 Throh!**

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**A/N: I didn't really like Seismitoad, but now it's kinda grown on me after writing this chapter. It's funny how writing about something can affect your opinion on it…**

**On an unrelated note, I'm very grateful that I've been writing this guide. Since I want to be accurate and realistic I always do research on many different topics before starting a chapter, and as a result I have learnt many interesting bits of information as I've gone along.**

**For example, I started researching organic poisons and poison glands for this chapter. But then I ended up reading about the differences between poison and venom, and shortly after that I was reading about how many milligrams of dart frog poison can kill a human, after that I was reading about Anthrax, followed by biological warfare, and by the end of it I was reading about the distribution of gas masks to Finnish citizens during World War 2. Wikipedia truly is a wonderful place.**

**Fun Facts: Seismitoad appears to be a combination of a toad and a loudspeaker. The spherical "speakers" on its body might be inspired by the "warts" and poison glands found on most toads. Alternatively, inspiration may come from the Surinam toad, an aquatic amphibian whose backs are covered in pockets that hold its eggs.**

**Its Pokédex entry mentions the fact that it creates vibrations underwater, which is also similar to the Surinam. The two bumps on its head may be based on the bells of a traditional alarm clock.**

**Seismitoad may be a combination of seismic and toad.**

_**Gamageroge**_** may be a combination of **_**gama**_** (toad) and **_**gerogero**_** (onomatopoeia for frog croaking).**


	50. 044 Throh

**A/N: 10,000 views! Whoo! I'm aware that 10K is actually not that many views, but it still feels like an achievement for me… I wonder if 20K views is an accomplishment?**

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**Number: **# 044

**Type: **Fighting

**Species: **Judo

**Gender: **Throh is a male only species.

**Japanese Name: **Nageki

**Description: **Throh is one of two members of the martial duo, alongside Sawk. This species of Pokémon has an unrelated counterpart in the form of Sawk, but while there are many similarities, there are also many divulging differences. Sawk have been around for at least 3,000 years in total, whereas Throh started appearing around Unova only 130 years ago. Due to this we suspect that Throh is a biological descendant of Sawk, or an alternate evolution.

This species is also a male only species with no female counterpart, and thus have to breed with other Pokémon in the Human-shape egg group in order to reproduce. But due to his focused nature he often lacks an interest in women anyway.

His skin is incredibly thick and calloused, suitable for a man like him who fights roughly every day. He has a very study body set low to the group, and this is to allows Throh to expertise in its lifelong pastime: Judo. Strangely, Throh first appeared shortly after Judo was first conceived…

Throh always travel in groups of five, no more, no less. They are very insistent on keeping this tradition and will even oust any additional members in order to keep this odd number. They also have an interesting mutual relationship with Leavanny; the Nurturing Pokémon will craft the Throh elegant yet durable judogai (judo uniform) for Throh to wear in exchange for gifts such as berries. Leavanny dyes the judogai black and white using natural dyes found throughout the forest.

Fascinatingly, Throh receive a large boost in power when they have a belt tied around their waist. While there is no solid explanation for this phenomenon, some claim that this has something to do with the mythological chakra system. At a young age they build special belts made out of vines, and dye these belts certain colours to match their current skill level. Throh with red belts are a very rare sight, and an indication that they are not one you want to mess with.

**Personality: **Throh is generally serious but passive, meaning that he analyses situations carefully but does not get angered or excited even in vital situations. Such a calm and observant Pokémon can be incredibly useful, as it will notices things that no one else bothers to.

He takes his training very seriously, spending many hours perfecting special techniques. As this is important to them, they can become angered when interrupted; this is one of the few circumstances where Throh can actually get mad. If apologized to, Throh will take it with a grain of salt and forgive the perpetrator.

He can be rather stubborn, but will correct any wrongs he may have committed with haste. Additionally he is very straightforward and earnest, always doing or saying what he thinks is best; but many people take this being condescending or arrogant.

There is a chance that Throh will become very invigorated before battle, but this depends on the size of your foe. If you are up against a small Pokémon, Throh may lose interest entirely, but if the opponent is larger than Throh, even by a small degree, he will be overwhelmed with the desire to throw them around and become eager for battle. Throh has a strict code that it follows zealously, and will not break this unless in a life-or-death situation.

**Lifespan: **Most Pokémon start off with a short lifespan, but have it extended as they evolve. But for a Pokémon with only one evolutionary stage, Throh has a fixed lifespan of around 77 years of age. This median was discovered only the other day, since we have had little time to observe this species.

**Diet: **Notably, they fast (abstain from food) during intensive training periods. Given that this has no negative effects on their body or stamina, it is safe to assume Throh can survive weeks without food. Throh normally eats foods such as rice, rice balls, sushi or other wholemeal foods, but also enjoys the taste of fried Basculin. Try avoiding human foods, especially sugary or fatty ones, as these foods seem to really upset them and their stomachs.

**How To Bond: **After being caught, Throh may be confused and will allow you a short period of time to explain just what happened before it wanders back off into the wilderness to re-join his group of five. During this time you need to explain that you beat him in battle, and would like to become friends and help him train as a group. Upon hearing these words he should lighten up and behave for you, as a Throh will never disrespect a stronger or polite person.

Throh is going to need many _many _hours of independent training, so it would be better if kept Throh out of his Pokeball for the most part. In the wild Throh will be able to train in most environments; but in a human settlement you may have to take Throh to a public gym or invest in your own small dojo.

Judo training establishments sell special judo clothing and belts for Throh to wear, and giving one of these to Throh will earn its eternal gratitude, as wild Throh greatly envy the captive Throh who wear these silky gowns.

Finally, talking to Throh about his training, how well he does and how proud you are of him will allow the two of you to understand each other on a mutual, emotional level. This is the sort of bond that every trainer should attempt to develop with their Pokémon.

The combination of training time, personal exchange and the fancy judogai will certainly enough to bond with Throh well, he's not the kind of Pokémon to ask for much.

**Battling: **Throh focuses on using Judo techniques to overcome larger foes. Most of these techniques involve throwing opponents around, so Throh needs a solid stance to prepare itself. Since Throh usually waits for the opponent to approach him so he can counterattack, speed, evasion and lack of space aren't issues. Beware that Throh will fare poorly in environments where the ground is not stable and solid, such as swamps, beaches or rocky terrain. Rain can also saturate the ground and make it difficult for Throh to keep his ground.

Seismic Toss, Vital Throw and Storm Throw are all useful moves that let's Throh do what he does best. Using a Bulk Up before any of these will make it even easier for him to toss enemies all around. The TM Stone Edge will also scare off any Flying types who stay out of Throh's range.

Circle Throw is Throh's signature move, and he makes this obvious with his proudly executed manner. This move can toss anyway any foes to end undesirable battles in the wild, or switch in a new foe if fighting a trainer. So this move is great for making things more versatile.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Throh is sensible and will respect all your other Pokémon, just as long as they don't interrupt Throh's training. If they are a young Pokémon Throh will understand and bite his lip, but if they should know better, then Throh won't hesitate to teach then a smart lesson. This can start fights, but Throh will never instigate a fight on its own, remember that.

He may take an interest in some of your larger Pokémon, and will probably try to make friends with so they will train alongside him. For most of your other Pokémon he will act pleasantly but lack an interest in making friends with them. If you also have a Sawk on your team, expect the two of them to quickly become close buddies.

**Warnings: **None. Throh has a great temperament.

**Summary: **Throh is a sturdy and reliable Pokémon that needs plenty of care and attention, but in return is fully devoted to only you. He doesn't cause trouble among Pokémon and will be more than willing to share his fighting knowledge, so he makes a good tutor. He'll go great with a trainer who has a fierce fighting spirit.

**Next Time… Number 045 Sawk!**

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**A/N: I made quite a few references in this chapter. Judo has only been around for 130 years whereas Karate has existed for thousands of years, so that's how I determined when they were discovered. The founder of Judo, Kano Jigoro, lived to be 77 years years old, so that's how I decided Throh's lifespan.**

**Please note that Sawk's chapter is going to strongly resemble this chapter, as I want it to 'mirror' Throh since they are so relative to each other. Also, I stated that Circle Throw is his signature move, but in reality Strom Throw is, until B2/W2 that is.**

**On a last note, ever since Rastan's last review I **_**cannot. Unsee. Muppets!**_** It's not a bad thing, in fact it's rather funny. I can imagine Throh throwing Kermit the Frog around while Sawk punches up Miss Piggy…**

**Fun Facts: In both the anime and PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond, Throh is slightly taller than Sawk despite being five inches shorter than him according to the Pokédex.**

**Throh is based upon a Judo expert and an Oni. (An Oni is a Japanese demon)**

**Originally, Throh and Sawk were going to have horns, to make them resemble Oni more; but this was changed as Thunderous and Tornadus were originally red and blue respectively, and Ken Sugimori didn't want the designs to clash. This also suggests that Throh and Sawk are based on the Red Oni and Blue Oni of Japanese mythology.**


	51. 045 Sawk

**Number: **# 045

**Type: **Fighting

**Species: **Karate

**Gender: **Sawk is a male only species.

**Japanese Name: **Dageki

**Description: **Sawk is one of two members of the martial duo, alongside Throh. Even though they have Throh as a counterpart or relative, there are still some stark contrasts in both their behaviour and physique. Throh have only been around for the last 130 years, whereas Sawk came into existence in tandem with the birth of Karate, which was formed in the Ransei region 3,000 years ago. We believe that Throh is a descendant or mutated evolution that has broken away from the main Sawk line in pursuit of some unknown truth or ideal.

This species is one of the few single gendered species, and one of the male only species native to Unova, alongside Throh, Rufflet and Braviary. The cause for this lack of females is due to the complete lack of estrogen, combined by an immense amount of testosterone. This also explains why both Sawk and Throh are muscular and enjoy fighting.

Throh always live together in groups of five, working in communal unity to train. But Sawk isolates himself far away from anyone else, at the higher ranges of mountains. Here he lives entirely by himself, devoting every waking minute to increasing or enhancing his karate and fighting skills. He does this by punching and kicking large boulders or trees every day; once the area has run out of trees he will migrate to another mountain. This is the only time Sawk is seen changing location by his own volition. It is worth noting that Sawk's skin is incredibly tough and calloused, and it is not yet known whether this is a natural thing or incurred by the constant rough contact.

On rare occasions, two Sawk may cross the other's path during their travels. When this happens, each will offer a slight bow of the head before continuing on their journey. However, if one is injured or is clearly having trouble training, the other will stop to help him improve before leaving.

The sound of a Sawk's training can be heard even at the feet of the mountains; during the Great War many years ago, some people mistook the sound of Sawk training for the noise of Terrakion charging towards their castles. There was even a report that an entire castle fell to the enemy simply because everyone heard a Sawk training, and panicked and fled, thinking it was Terrakion coming to bring them to justice.

**Personality: **Sawk is a very serious, no-nonsense, straight to business sort of Pokémon. Outside of battle he is always calm and collected, watching his surroundings with scrutiny. Inside of battle, he is still very calm, but radiates a fierce aura that sometimes disturbs Psychic types or Lucario.

While usually mild-mannered, Sawk will become very angry at any sort of disrespect and will intently seek retribution. Anyone who has the gall to dishonour this species better apologize, or else they will receive a harsh reprisal. Disturbing his training will also warrant an angry complaint, becoming more and more frustrated each time you interrupt or distract him. The final straw would be injuring his trainer or friends, at that point Sawk won't think twice about Close Combatting the perpetrator.

Despite holding a tough front, on the inside they are rather friendly, and will be amazingly patient when it is required. He likes it when people admire him for his strength or skill.

**Lifespan: **This is one instance where Throh is better off than Sawk, for Throh lives to 77 years of age whereas Sawk only live for around 65. For the most part this is because Sawk exert themselves all their life, whereas Throh are more reserved.

**Diet: **Sawk fasts for many days during his training, and this becomes even more exponential when he is falling behind. When he does decide to eat, he prefers wholegrain meals such as rice, riceballs or bread. Bento boxes are great since they are compact and can be carried everywhere. He will also need great amounts of water to keep himself hydrated. He hates unhealthy foods such as junk food, so be sure to keep any of that well away from him.

**How To Bond: **He respects the strong, and those who show respect in return. If you give the impression that you are silly, lazy or immature in any way, Sawk will shake his head and leave, returning to the mountains. So you when first meeting you need to act calmly and deferentially; the way a karate student would address his sensei. Or if you are ballsy enough, the other way around. With this first establishment, Sawk will take you seriously.

Sawk is going to need many _many _hours of practise and training, and on top of that battling will be frequent. Caring for a Sawk isn't easy, so only those who share inextinguishable vigour like Sawk should try.

He will get mad if his training is interrupted, so when he begins you either stay there with him, or go away and stay away; this will allow him to work without disruption. Training in the wild is just fine, but in human settlements you may need to visit a gym, or buy some fitness machinery yourself. Things like punching bags will get worn out frequently, so this is an expensive choice.

Overall, if you give Sawk the respect he deserves, then he will gladly return the favour, and will work hard to please you. They require a lot of effort, but it all pays off in both battle and in life.

**Battling: **Unlike Throh, who is sturdy and waits for his opponents to come to him, Sawk is a strong and fast hitter than uses short bursts of punches and kicks to finish fights before they even begin. He knows many complicated karate kata (karate techniques) and is able to counter almost any tactic the enemy plans on using. It can be incredibly frustrating to have a Sawk dodge or counter everything you throw at it. Unfortunately due to his focus on speed and strength Sawk has thinner defences, so a few direct hits can throw him off balance. But Sawk is by no means a weak Pokémon, even when downed he can still get back up!

Even though he has a weakness to them, Flying types aren't too much of a bother as Sawk can keep up with their agility. Furthermore, Flying types generally have fragile bodies so some powerful hits from Sawk can set them straight if they come too close. Psychic types are still very much a threat, as Sawk has very little he can do to them.

Double Kick, Low Sweep, Karate Chop and Brick Break are all standard moves that can service you well, and fit into most strategies. Bulk Up augments this to a higher degree, and I must say that a Bulked-Up Sawk looks totally awesome.

Endure can ensure that Sawk holds on long enough to deliver one last hit, which can be the difference between a loss and a victory. Quick Guard is an even more useful version of this that prepares Sawk for any other move.

Close Combat is your strongest move, woe to any Pokémon misfortunate enough to be struck by one of these flurries. This leaves Sawk open to retaliation afterward however, so watch your opponents closely afterwards.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Generally Sawk will be respectful and keep to himself, avoiding trouble whenever possible. But should any one of your Pokémon interrupt his training or act disrespectfully, he will become very mad indeed. If the perpetrator was a young or naïve Pokémon, Sawk will understand and resolve the issue, but should it be a Pokémon who knowns better, Sawk will be intent on putting them in their place.

Most of your days will pass by peacefully, but there will be times when things get heated. At times like this it's important to quickly resolve the issue and stamp out any flames of resent, otherwise some Pokémon may come to harbour negative feelings, something that can pull a whole team down.

Even though he normally stays away from others, he will be happy to share his knowledge if he sees a Pokémon with promise.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Sawk is a powerful Pokémon, but is difficult to catch and requires much effort to maintain. You should only get one if you're prepared to work hard; this isn't the kind of Pokémon to catch on a whim!

**Next Time… Number 046 Sewaddle!**

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**A/N: I watched the fight between Stephan's Sawk and Montgomery's Throh, and my respect for both Pokémon went up. I don't think I've seen such a badass fight in the Pokémon anime before. Did anyone else expect a Bruce Lee voice for Sawk? **

**Fun Facts: Sawk is the only Pokémon able to learn Rock Smash by leveling up.**

**Sawk and Throh are expies to both Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, both are male Fighting Pokémon that resemble each other.**

**Sawk is based on Mas Oyama, a well-known Karate expert and the creator of Kyokushinkai Karate. He is also based on an Oni; most notably the Blue Oni of legend.**

**He may also resemble a Muppet; someone mentioned Bert and Ernie… (Although I don't think Throh and Sawk sleep in the same bad or play with rubber duckies) **


	52. 046 Sewaddle

**Number: **# 046

**Type: **Bug - Grass

**Species: **Sewing

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Kurumiru

**Description: **As you walk through the forest one fine evening and hear the eerie chant of '_Sewaddle Sewaddle' _you know you're in for a fight. While they may look unassuming, these feisty little critters cause quite a bit of trouble for the Pokémon Rangers, and many people travelling through Pinwheel Forest as well.

They're more of a nuisance than trouble, as they are individually weak and thus rely on the collective strength of their clan to fight opponents. Regardless of their efforts, even beginning trainers can scare them off with a disciplined Tepig. It's still annoying to have these guys constantly pursue you throughout the forest, shooting warning shots of silk at you for invading their supposed territory.

Sewaddle is first born into a family alongside 6 – 12 other Sewaddle, guarded by an industrious mother Leavanny. If the father is also a Leavanny, he will join the mother in parenthood, but if he is of another species the young Sewaddle may never see their father. The mother Leavanny loves her children very much, dotingly weaving sets of clothes for her babies shortly after they have been born. When Sewaddle has matured enough (usually around 7 months), it will depart from his family and wander off to join up with a nearby clan of Sewaddle. It will fit in unassumingly, and the other Sewaddle may not notice at all.

Their clothes are made of leaves, and thus it is not surprising that they wear down or decompose quickly. Fortunately, Sewaddle can produce silk from a spinneret located at the roof of its mouth to weave clothes out of gathered leaves, but can also use this to immobilize opponents in battle. Additionally, Sewaddle can craft small shelters out of leaves using this thread, although these can easily be destroyed in a storm.

Sewaddle can be quite hard to spot due to their colouring, especially when they cover their face with their leaf hood, which is what they do every time they go to sleep. If separated from their clan, they will do this to hide themselves from predators as well.

**Personality: **As stated Sewaddle are quite aggressive, attacking anyone who invades their territory simply to display their dominance. Even so, they aren't mean-spirited and only do this because this is what they have been taught to do. Generally speaking, this behaviour is only seen in Sewaddle who are members of clans; individual members are far friendlier although some still act defiantly when alone.

They are quite stubborn and single-minded, ignoring others or even arguing with them should they disagree with what Sewaddle has in mind. If Sewaddle doesn't like what anyone has to say, it will spray you with sinewy silk before waddling off to join another clan.

Regardless of this, Sewaddle are very affectionate and doting when they have developed a bond with someone, and can become very upset should they be betrayed. For a group Pokémon, Sewaddle have rather unique personalities, as opposed to species such as Pidove or Roggenrola.

**Lifespan: **As expected of an unevolved Bug type, poor Sewaddle lives a very short life, only reaching around 5 years. Thankfully, Sewaddle is registered as a low-grade evolutionary, meaning that it is a species that evolves rather quickly and without effort.

**Diet: **Sewaddle are fully herbivorous (thank goodness!) and mostly eat leaves. Since they live in a forest, food is easy to come by. Berries are treated as a delicacy, as a single Sewaddle clan usually devours them with impudence, ensuring that many members only get one or two per meals.

Due to the low levels of nutrients in foliage, Sewaddle will have to graze frequently so you will need to let it out frequently. Public parks have plenty of plants and caretakers should understand, but some places may charge you for eating their garden!

**How To Bond: **Sewaddle will be very arrogant and defiant upon first being caught, and certainly won't listen to what you have to say. Interestingly, it will most likely stick around out of pure curiosity; apparently wild Sewaddle envy caught ones.

Straight away you need to make it clear that you aren't going to tolerate any funny business from Sewaddle, otherwise it'll walk all over you. Organize some predetermined punishments for when Sewaddle breaks any set rules, but don't be too restricting, otherwise Sewaddle may feel constricted.

Don't hope for friendship for the first few weeks; don't even expect Sewaddle to fully comply, no matter how harsh you are. Bonding with Sewaddle is a long process which requires that patience of a saint and the diplomatic skills of an ambassador. As time passes for the two of you, Sewaddle will begin to warm up and may even express happiness once in a while.

Remember that Sewaddle is still just a baby Pokémon that is learning about the world, so if you treat it poorly in this developing stage that's what it will think of the world for the rest of it's life!

**Battling: **Sewaddle are a weak Pokémon, and rely on the strength of numbers to fight until they can evolve. Due to this, sending Sewaddle out to battle on its own makes things difficult, so for now keep it reserved for double battles.

Bug – Grass is horrendous typing that gives Sewaddle a slew of weaknesses, two of which are double weaknesses. Most Pokémon will have at least one move capable of inflicting super effective damage, so it's too big a chore avoiding all of Sewaddle's vulnerabilities. Fire and Flying are the two main killers, switch Sewaddle out immediately if you suspect that your opponent hides a move of those types.

To make matters worse, Sewaddle has a very restricted movepool and cannot _any _moves which can counter any of its 6 weaknesses.

String Shot will help you slow foes down initially, but don't rely on that move by itself. Many people such as Fire types can just burn their way out! Bug Bite and Razor Leaf are the only offensive moves you can learn, and while they can deal damage they are rather underwhelming. I wasn't kidding when I said Sewaddle isn't good at fighting.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **This Pokémon may be inclined to bully or steal form other Pokémon, especially if they are young or naïve. This will start some serious fights, and unfortunately is inevitable. When these do occur, you need to side with the other Pokémon and make it evident that what Sewaddle did is wrong. When it realises it is outvoted, it will grumble but concede defeat. This process may need to be repeated a few times, but you will start to notice better responses from Sewaddle each time.

It's poor attitude may incur bigotry from the other Pokémon, who will see it as a mere nuisance. Starter Pokémon have been known to oust them out of disgust. This will weaken the social structure of the group and badly hurt Sewaddle's feelings, so intervention is important. As much as your Pokémon may not like it, they need to bite their lip for the time being. Some Pokémon such as Sawk or Excadrill will simply not tolerate this however.

**Warnings: **None. Sewaddle may shoot silk at you if you make it mad enough, but other than that you're fine.

**Summary: **Sewaddle is a very difficult and unrewarding Pokémon, possessing very few redeeming points at all. I advise against catching one unless you are an avid bug collector or something. Swadloon is not much better, but is more compliant and slightly more versatile in battle.

**Next Time… Number 047 Swadloon!**

* * *

**A/N: I don't mean to offend anybody, but Sewaddle is one Pokémon I really don't like, to the point where a group of them became the first antagonists in another story of mine.**

**The Sewaddle family is one species of Pokémon I certainly wouldn't use in battle, as most of my battle strategies involve sweeping the opponent and then falling back onto resistances or high defences. Cobalion using Volt Switch to bring in Terrakion against a Fire type is a good example.**

**Fun Facts: Sewaddle was first revealed on Yahoo's! official Pokémon site.**

**Sewaddle is based on the caterpillar of the **_**Epargyreus clarus**_**, who fold leaves over themselves for shelter and also produce silk.**

**It's name may come from sew, waddle or even swaddle (wrapping a baby up in cloth) **

_**Kurumiru**_** may be derived from **_**kurumu**_** (to wrap up)**


	53. 047 Swadloon

**A/N: I did a little calculating, and I discovered that if I wrote a chapter for every Pokémon, plus 10 celebrity spotlights per region, **_**and**_** had an average of 1.5K words per chapter, then the finished story would be around 700 chapters and 1,050,000 (one million and fifty thousand) words! I think that would be a very good achievement indeed.**

**Wait… what are the chances of Game Freak introducing a new generation while I'm still writing this story? I'll just hope for a Hoenn remake…**

* * *

**Number: **# 047

**Type: **Bug - Grass

**Species: **Leaf-Wrapped

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Kurumayu

**Description: **Hah, apparently 'Swadloon is not impressed' is a huge meme over in Hoenn, and I understand why.

During evolution Sewaddle's body is not the only thing altered, the balance of chemicals and hormones in its brain undergoes a dramatic change too. This results in Swadloon's previously aggressive demeanour transforming into one of submission and pessimism. This isn't surprising as Swadloon is now less mobile in this form, making it yearn for its previously lithe form as a Sewaddle. This form is still another intermediate phase that Swadloon must patiently endure through in order to reach its final, moderately powerful form of Leavanny.

Swadloon's new body is little more than a yellow ball, with small arms and feet that are very rarely seen. Its feet only allow it to shuffle slowly across the forest floor, and its little arms only allow it to grasp small, basic things. In order to protect itself from predators and the weather, as well as make itself more capable, Swadloon drapes itself with many layers of leaves and foliage. With this thick blanket of flora Swadloon has increased its Defense, plus it can manipulate this blanket like a puppeteer, using long leaves as arms rather than its own incapable ones.

Last year I sent a Swadloon specimen to my young friend Bugsy; since he is a prodigy when to comes to Bug types, and he made an amazing discovery! Swadloon only uses living leaves for its blanket, and for years we did not know why. But it turns out that Swadloon secretes nutrients that keep the leaves _alive_, even long after they have been torn from their tree.

This is a form of symbiosis, where two organisms work together to survive. For this example, Swadloon feeds the leaves so they may remain alive, and in return the leaves protect Swadloon. Whether or not this is actually symbiosis is a heated debate, as the leaves aren't protecting Swadloon of their own volition. Rather, Swadloon is forcing them to protect it; otherwise they will die without its support. This is similar to the Parasect of the Kanto region.

For its entire life in this form, Swadloon lives in damp, dark forests by itself; this is why they are so endemic throughout Pinwheel forest. Evolving into Leavanny requires friendship, so Swadloon spends most of its time hastily shuffling across the forest floor, in search of a trainer to capture it, or a fellow Pokémon who will accept it. Due to this diet, Swadloon's excrement is packed full of healthy nutrients that feeds all of the plant life, encouraging them to grow even more. For this reason, environmentalists are very affectionate towards Swadloon.

**Personality: **Swadloon is the champion of poker faces. It's also the champion of pessimism too. Poor Swadloon always looks on the gloomier side of life, and is prone to ignoring potentially happy things out of fear that it will only cause more sadness. Due to this most Pokémon avoid it so they aren't swallowed by its black-hole of a personality.

As glum as they are, Swadloon are a very determined species indeed. When they have set their mind to something, they don't stop until it has been completed. This is why they are always actively feeding, because they become set one becoming a Leavanny the moment they have evolved into Swadloon!

Swadloon looks very tough and callous, and many people fall for this harsh exterior. But in reality Swadloon is emotionally brittle and falls apart under the slightest cruelty, and thus it acts callous and tough to dissuade anyone from being unkind. Unfortunately this backfires as it convinces people Swadloon is tough enough to endure harshness.

To summarize, Swadloon is a Pokémon counterpart to a common angsty, antisocial human teenager. This actually makes sense because this form could be considered the 'teen' form of a three-stage evolutionary such as Swadloon.

**Lifespan: **Now, this depends entirely on how well feed Swadloon was across its life. If well fed they will reach around 15 years, whereas if they eat poorly they will only live around 9 years. That's a gracious amount of time to let a Pokémon evolve, so don't worry.

**Diet: **Swadloon only eats fallen damp, preferably fermenting leaves. The bacteria that breaks down the leaves is just what Swadloon wants in its stomach, as the waste produced from these bacteria is what really feeds Swadloon. It's going to be rather hard for you to obtain these regularly; unless you are content to camp in the murky confines of Pinwheel forest for months. Fortunately you can buy bundles of these fermenting leaves from gardening shops, as the owners will understand your hardships.

**How To Bond: **This species can be rather difficult to handle, which can be incredibly frustrating if you expected things to get any easier after evolving it from Sewaddle. Regardless of how you caught it, Swadloon will act indifferently and be negatively aloof, giving you the impression that it doesn't care for you; but you mustn't be fooled by this façade!

Earlier I compared Swadloon to a teenage human, and this is a point where this rings true. Neither Swadloon nor your teenage child would run away from you, and they both do it for the same reason. No matter how callous they act, no matter how much they insist they don't like you, they still love you and know that you're all they have in this world.

Being alone makes Swadloon even more depressed, so when you take it in you have already healed its heart somewhat.

Never be mean to poor Swadloon, you'll never understand how severe the impact your words have. Instead, be very optimistic and cheerful, always complimenting Swadloon even when it doesn't do its best. You won't notice, but Swadloon will be smiling brightly on its inside.

Swadloon can only evolve when it has developed a close friendship and is able to think optimistically, so kindness and virtue are vital to rescuing it from this middle form.

**Battling: **Due to its body, Swadloon is rather slow. But in exchange for speed it gains Defense, something that it requires to offset the ludicrous amount of typing weaknesses that it has.

Swadloon also still suffers from _six _weaknesses and a limited movepool, so using Swadloon is battle is tricky. Don't feel pressured into making Swadloon battle either, since Swadloon evolves solely via friendship, battling isn't actually required.

If you are going to dare send Swadloon out to battle, you need to have the eyes of a Braviary; watching for enemies that could potentially use effective moves and be prepared to switch Swadloon at the batter of an eyelash.

The poor critter doesn't actually learn any new moves bar two, but both are of some use. Grass Whistle can lull enemies to sleep, giving you time to take them out or flee, and Protect can temporarily shield Swadloon from destructive attacks. The standard tactic of Grass Whistle, String Shot and then Bug Bute/Razor Leaf is all you really have to go by.

It's not the type of Pokémon suited for battle, so don't expect any amazing results. If fact, all you should expect is one beat-up and grumpy Pokémon!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It will keep to itself and shy away from other Pokémon, maybe even scowling at them if they approach. This will only confound Swadloon's social issues so this needs to be resolved.

As much as Swadloon might protest, you need to force it to stick with other Pokémon. It will feel insecure with all these people around it, but gradually it will learn to cope with the lack of personal space. This is a situation where you need to be cruel to be kind.

Naturally Swadloon is very afraid of Fire types, but this is understandable; being around someone who roast off all of your protective clothing isn't a nice thought. For the sake of peace it is better that you keep Swadloon far away from any Fire types.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Swadloon is a rather troublesome Pokémon that can't really reward your efforts, and may even give the impression that it dislikes you. Even so, with a little patience this Pokémon can evolve into a caring, patient and very helpful Leavanny in the future.

**Next Time… Number 048 Leavanny!**

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why, but this chapter was a little heart-warming. But isn't Swadloon's face awesome? I'd have one just for the sake of seeing it glare at me like that every day.**

**Due to Swadloon's tiny movepool I didn't really have anything to say in the battling section. When talking about a Pokémon with so many flaws it's hard to come up with an effective strategy, so I may have to refer to Serebii or Smogon for Leavanny's chapter. (Although I go there for each chapter anyway…)**

**Fun Facts: Swadloon, Seadra, Cascoon and Vigoroth are the only Pokémon who lose one of their pre-evolution's Ability, then regain it upon evolution to their final form.**

**Swadloon is based on the caterpillar of the Epargyreus clarus during chrysalis.**

**Swadloon's personality and appearance may refer to the social anxiety disorder **_**Hikikomori, **_**which is a social disorder usually found in Japanese teenagers; where they are too nervous or scared to leave their home or interact with people, thus locking themselves up in their houses. They sometimes wrap themselves up in blankets as well, referring to Swadloon's leaf blanket.**

**Most **_**Hikikomori **_**suffers recover by gradually making friends; coincidentally Swadloon evolves into Leavanny through friendship. **


	54. 048 Leavanny

**Number: **# 048

**Type: **Bug - Grass

**Species: **Nurturing

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Hahakomori

**Description: **As Swadloon has finally reached the end of its long and hard fought quest to become a Leavanny, it rejoices as it breaks out of its old confining form into this new light and dandy body. This new body is very nimble and lithe, permitting Leavanny to leap and prance about dexterously without worry, and this is exactly what it will do once it has evolved!

Leavanny has reached the end of its evolutionary line, but its life is only just beginning to whir into motion. All of its life as a Sewaddle and Swadloon was simply preparation for this moment, so it is going to make the absolute most of its life while it can.

This species is incredibly productive and motivated, always working on a particular job or chore. This makes them popular among people who run busy lives, as Leavanny can fill up all the gaps for them. This stems from their parental nature, something that Leavanny are well known for.

Leavanny has an instinctual desire to care for young children, and upon spotting one will hastily weave it a set of clothing composed out of any nearby materials, usually leaves. This can be rather bothersome if Leavanny stops every five minutes to make a pair of booties. Naturally this is restricted to baby Sewaddle and perhaps any wandering baby Pokémon, but Leavanny have also been known to take in lost or abandoned human babies and raise them, making them wear leaf clothing all their lives. Unlike most feral humans, these ones were rather tame.

It is very well known for its adept sewing skills and creative fashion sense, and has risen to cult status among all the artists and hipsters dotted throughout Nacrene City. As a Sewaddle it only had one spinneret at the roof of its mouth, allowing it to make only basic patterns. But now as a Leavanny it has two spinnerets on the side of each arm, totalling at four.

Upon sighting Leavanny you probably noted its scythe-like arms, right? These are as sharp as they look, so don't touch them! They are used for slicing materials into desired shapes and stitching silk to form threads for whatever Leavanny is making. With the spinnerets on its arms, Leavanny can instantly put silk at the tip of its blade, ready to thread away. These arms are also used for battle; but a wild Leavanny will only battle when a baby is endangered. Normally this Pokémon is extremely gentle and friendly, but will _not _hold back should you raise your fist against a baby. Last year a very foolish trainer set fire to a Sewaddle nest, only to be sliced in half by a furious Leavanny mother!

Leavanny families always have a mother and her recently laid eggs, but a father's presence is subjective. If the father is a fellow Leavanny, then he will stick around permanently, but a father of a foreign species will usually abandon the mother and go off on his own way.

The mother is very fanatic about her babies, and spends many hours weaving countless sets of clothing and blankets, and will even build a small shelter for them out of twigs and leaves. When the babies first hatch, she will squeal in happiness and dress them up in their first set of clothing. She makes so many that there is always many spare sets left over. From here on out she patiently watches over her babies, making sure no harm comes their way. Occasionally she will venture away to gather leaves and berries to eat.

After at least three months the babies are old enough to take care of themselves and wish to do so; but the mother fears for her children's safety and will prevent them from leaving the nest. But as she leaves to gather food, the little Sewaddle will hurriedly run away, never to be seen again. As the mother comes back to her empty nest, she cradles the unused clothing and cries.

**Personality: **Leavanny are amazing kind and good-natured, willing to overlook anyone's past misdeeds or faults. They are upbeat and overcome and trial or pessimism, and able to merrily hum a tune as they work to overcome issues. Having a Leavanny around can really brighten up your day.

Their maternal instinct is very overwhelming, so they always coo over any babies they see. Their free-spirited nature means they aren't afraid to express their feelings either, so its common to see them bounding down the street throwing petals everywhere.

Being a good parent means being socially adept, and Leavanny points this out well. Across their history they have been known to make many friends and get along with many species of Pokémon and humans. The trading of food for clothing for both Throh and Sawk is one example, and their close friendship with Audino is another. Leavanny sometimes helps Audino tend to injured people by stitching up their wounds and making blankets and shelters.

But every dog has its day, and so does Leavanny. Its protective nature may cause it to overreact in panic or anger should it see a baby being abused, resulting in unintended injury. This Pokémon also takes any mean comments straight to heart if coming from a close friend, such as their trainer. Even though they are normally bright and sunny they can get really down if they feel oppressed or disliked.

**Lifespan: **Normally Bug types have short lives, but Leavanny has adapted to have a longer life so it may care for its children, as Leavanny can have many clusters of babies every year. Enduring ones can reach up to 34 years of age!

**Diet: **Leavanny mostly eats leaves, but will sample any berries it manages to find. This may sound easy, but Leavanny will always stop to give berries to babies, weak or hungry looking Pokémon. It often has very few by the time it has reached home.

An easy diet results in an easy Pokémon to feed, so simply letting Leavanny out to nibble on leaves three times a day is enough. Human foods are iffy, as Leavanny's body isn't suited to them. Pokémon pellets should do fine, but check that none of them contain meat first.

**How To Bond: **Leavanny is one of those loyal species of Pokémon that will faithfully stand by your side the moment you capture it. This is made even more prevalent if you captured it in a previous form, as it will be very grateful to you for bringing it through all the hardships it has faced. Due to their lifestyle Leavanny get rather lonely, so it probably perked up when it realised you wanted to catch it form the wild!

It will want to create clothing or accessories for you, and it is important that you happily accept these; if you show ungratefulness Leavanny might take offense and become upset. An upset Leavanny isn't hard to cheer up, but it's still not a nice sight.

Depending on how long it has known you, Leavanny may see itself as your friend, servant or mother! I've seen Leavanny who carry their trainers around in leafy blankets, much to their discomfort. If you find behaviour like this to be unpleasant, politely tell Leavanny that you appreciate the gestures but to stop, Leavanny will understand where you are coming from.

Make sure that Leavanny understand that you do care for it. Buying it some nice materials to sew with will really get the message across. Spend a day or two occasionally just with Leavanny doing the things that it likes, whether that is quietly sewing, or staring at babies through day-care windows. This will allow you to bond closer to Leavanny more than any physical gift possibly could.

**Battling:** It's not really interested in battle, but for the sake of protecting its babies it's good at it anyway.

Leavanny is swift and agile, able to dodge attacks and slip though defences, delivering powerful counterattacks. The scythe-like arms scare off quite a few, and for good reason too. They're designed for slicing leaves apart, but can easily slice a Pokémon in half too.

As strong as it is, Leavanny is rather refrained in battle, as it will only fight to protect its babies or allies, or if its trainer orders it to do so. They like to leap about and use either quick jabs or long sweeps, depending on the speed and endurance of the enemy.

It still has five threatening weaknesses that cannot be countered, so observance is key to involving this species. Fortunately Leavanny's speed will make it difficult for most Rock types to land a hit however, and Poison and Ice types are rather rare in Unova. Flying are Fire are your biggest concern, as both have a quadruple advantage and can keep up with Leavanny in terms of speed.

String Shot is still Leavanny's main move, as it will give Leavanny one more advantage and set you up for the next move. Leaf Blade and X-Scissor are both strong moves that put Leavanny's arms to good use, and their sharpness may negate any typing weaknesses. These are even stronger with a Swords Dance to back them up. A good tactic is to slow foes down with String Shot, giving you time to get in a Swords Dance and finish off with an offensive move.

Leaf Storm is seen as a last resort, as it is very powerful but will leave Leavanny exhausted afterwards. Only use it if you are sure it can finish the battle, otherwise Leavanny won't have the chance to defend itself from a counterattack.

If you know how to put speed to good use, and know how to dodge typing weaknesses, then Leavanny will serve you well. Be advised that Leavanny doesn't like violence and forcing to it repeatedly fight may break its sprit and faith in you.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Leavanny are fantastic on almost any Pokémon team, and many trainers have one simply for that purpose.

As expected, they get along astoundingly with youngsters; making even the solemnest children squealing in delight in seconds, it will quickly become the 'mother' of the group (even if it isn't female!). It will become very close and protective of these Pokémon, making endless streams of gifts for them. It will even turn against you in order to protect them, but this is only in the most extreme of circumstances.

For older Pokémon Leavanny is very polite and generous, combine that with very few flaws, and you have an easily likable Pokémon that will quickly earn the respect of its peers. Audino, Sawk, Throh, Lilligant and Panpour are all Pokémon it gets along with very well. Expect some close friendships to form while you are away.

A notable percentage of Pokémon hold some sort of distrust against Ghost and Dark types, as they are natural pranksters, troublemakers and villains, it is simply their part to play in this world. Even so, Leavanny is often willing to overlook this fact and seek the kind Pokémon hidden way within everyone. This sort of insightfulness is what earns valued friends, as e all know that Ghosts aren't easy to befriend, but will stick with you for life (and beyond!) once you have.

**Warnings: **Beware of handling Leavanny's arms, it is very wary of them anyway, but your unexpected contact may result in injury. And don't abuse a baby when Leavanny is nearby, I doubt you would anyway, but doing so will make Leavanny interfere and potentially injure you.

**Summary: **Leavanny is a fantastic Pokémon that is loyal, useful and makes a good friend. They get along with the majority of trainers, especially those who are lonely or nervous. Their simple diet and hardy nature makes them easy to care for as well. This Pokémon has very few drawbacks and multiple qualities and talents, and can help in so many different situations. This Pokémon is highly recommended for trainers of all ages and skill.

**Next Time… Number 049 Venipede!**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late chapter. I've wanted a Shaymin really **_**really **_**badly, and today someone offered to trade for one! But my DS wouldn't connect due to our router settings, so I changed the security settings to WEP to fix it, only to screw up the whole connection. Three hours later, after I had fixed it, not only did my DS still not connect, but I found that Shaymin already been traded away… I'll… I'll never get a Shaymin…**

**Fun Facts: Leavanny may be based on both a bipedal Phylliidae and, like its prevolutions, is also based on the Epargyreus clarus caterpillar. It also resembles a praying mantis, as well as a human mother.**

**Leavanny is a combination of leaves and nanny, and **_**Hahakomori **_**is a fusion of **_**ha (leaf), haha (mother) **_**and **_**komori (babysitting)**_**. I'll never stop being amazed at how diverse yet adaptable Japanese is.**


	55. Celebrity Spotlight - Soaring Lass Skyla

**Name: **Skyla

**Japanese Name: **Huuro

**Typing Specialty: **Flying

**Gender: **Female

**Description: **Skyla, the highflying girl from Mistralton City. She comes from a long line of famous pilots and aeronautical engineers dating back to 130 years ago; when things such as electricity were first coming into common use across the world. Given that Unova has always been a region more focused on technology and development than others (as Black City and Marvelous Bridge can testify) it's no surprise that people of our nation would invent something (at that time) so incredibly advanced.

Her grandfather Miles was the first man to fly around the world, although that title is contested by other parties as Miles did have some trouble while flying over the Orange Islands. He also reportedly sighted the legendary Rayquaza on his travels too.

As a young girl she used to always run around outside, with outspread arms imitating wings. She claimed that she wanted to one day fly in the sky with all the birds, but for now she was content to just pretend. As she continued to grow her love for all things sky-related never changed, at six years of age Miles let her fly with him just once, and this set her ideals in stone.

By just 18 years of age she had obtained her pilot's license, and three years later majored in aeronautical engineering at university. Even though her main interest was in flying, she also took a knack to Pokémon battles, earning herself a reputation around the area. Seeing this, the current Mistralton leader Miles decided to pass the leadership role onto his enterprising granddaughter. At first she really wasn't happy about this sudden responsibility; but as she battled trainers form all around the world she fell in love with her new job.

Now she owns her own airport as well, becoming a leading member of both the economy and Pokémon League

**Personality: **Skyla always has her head in the clouds, fantasizing about future events and exciting prospects. She often breaks out into singing or makes unrelated remarks frequently giving the impression that she's not paying attention, and this can be rather alarming if you're hundreds of metres in the sky!

This impression is actually incorrect, as Skyla is much more observant than she lets on. Some even say that this is actually her tactic, to make foes let their guard down so she can strike. People have asked her whether this was true, but she wasn't paying attention… or was she?

For a Gym Leader she's rather childish, squealing and running around when most would behave calmly. This makes her popular for the younger demographic, but people of a more conservative heritage look on with disapproval. Even so, she does a great job as Gym Leader and she doesn't fall behind with her pilot duties, so no one has a right to complain. Besides, this girl is prim and proper compared to that loose cannon Marlon!

She's kind and helpful, but gets angry with people who can't help themselves, and she really gets riled up when she meets someone who is too lazy to reach their own dream. She's been warned that it's not good to interfere with other people's ambitions, but unsurprisingly she didn't listen.

**Battling: **She is an expert of the sweeping tactic, putting her Flying type's natural speed to maximum use. Due to this, you will want Pokémon that can either fight on the same level, or who have resistances or defences to back themselves up.

Bug and Grass types are both certainly a no-no, but Fighting types can sometimes pull through if they've been trained against speed. All of her Pokémon have dual typing, making offensive choices rather dubious. Electric Is by far the best, followed up by Rock. It's a good idea to have at least one Pokémon of these typing if you go up against her.

Skarmory is certainly the worst, with multitudes of resistances, two immunities and only two weaknesses. If you don't have a sturdy or fast Electric or Fire Pokémon, don't expect to escape the might of this fearsome Pokémon.

Using status effects such as paralysis is a great idea, as they can slow her Pokémon down, and speed up your victory. Keep calm and spam Thunderbolt, and you should survive.

**With Pokémon: **Her energetic and flighty attitude mixes well with Flying types, so it's no surprise that she is surrounded by them. She genuinely loves them all and does her best to support them in battle and in life, so they are very loyal to here. She tries to be nice to all Pokémon, but species that are of a more serious nature cannot stand her. Apparently she had a big fallout with a sore-loser Scolipede last year.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Clay!**

* * *

**A/N: Meh, trains have always been my favourite mode of transport. Although I think everyone gets that little quiver of excitement whenever they board a plane. This is also the last Celebrity Spotlight for the first arc/season/part of the guide. It may not be important to you, but I'm anticipating the end of the first arc, as it feels like an achievement. Do you set goals or look forward to particular parts when writing stories too?**

**Fun Facts: Her hair accessory resembles an airplane propeller. (When I first saw her, it looked like a water spot to me, so I thought she would be a Water type trainer!)**

**Canonically her Unfezant is female in the games, but the anime accidentally made it male. Or did they just not care about making such an obvious mistake?**

**Just like all Unova Gym leaders, Skyla's Japanese name (Huuro) is plant related. It comes from **_**fusoro, **_**the Japanese name for geraniums. **


	56. Venipede

**Number: **# 049

**Type: **Bug - Poison

**Species: **Centipede

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Fushide

**Description: **In Kanto and Johto, children are warned of the Beedrill's poison. In Hoenn, the Seviper's fangs are feared. In Sinnoh, beware the lurking Croagunk. But in Unova, everyone fears the poison of the Venipede!

Its exoskeleton is quite tough, making it difficult to injure or devour it. As tough as it is, its thorax is segmented, allowing it to quickly scuttle and climb all over things. This also allows them to curl up and conceal weak spots, otherwise known as Defense Curl.

A large poison sac located behind the head contains very potent venom that is injected to foes through Venipede's small but sharp fangs. This poison is usually not fatal to humans, but can cause paralysis and necrosis in some cases. Small children lack the defences to recover from poison, and their small bodies mean that the venom cannot be distributed properly, resulting in a high rate of fatalities. With so many ten year olds wandering the forests, this is a real concern. I blame it all of that horrid Juniper, of course.

These brutish Pokémon are seen throughout all the forests of Unova, and can be considered a more violent and poisonous version of Sewaddle.

Even so, there are a few key differences between the two species. Both are territorial and will fight to scare off invaders, but Sewaddle only chase them off angrily until the foreigners have left, and treat it as a game. Meanwhile Venipede will ferociously pursue foes long after they have fled their home territory, and often kill or severely injure foes for no reason other than breaching their territory. This is why this species is considered an actual threat, rather than a nuisance like Sewaddle.

Only few are seen at any time, leading many people to assume they live in small groups. But these few are actually small scout groups sent out to gather food and detect enemies for the main base, a thriving nest located underground. These nests can truly be immense, holding up to several thousand Venipede! These Venipede always hurriedly run around, working to further the ambitions of the colony as a whole. Their mutual cooperation is contradictory to their normally independent personalities, but they all fear their ruthless leader, a Scolipede. Most Scolipede live by themselves aboveground, but if they uncover a Venipede nest they will assume command, killing off any Venipede that previously led it.

At least 500 trainers are hospitalized each year due to poisoning and injury; because they fought one or two Venipede, only to have hundreds swarm up out of nowhere and surround them in seconds. Catching a Venipede is highly risky and dangerous, so the best strategy is to use a Quick Ball on one then fleeing before its comrades give chase.

**Personality: **Venipede, and its family as a whole, are incredibly savage Pokémon. In terms of brutality, they are only outdone by the Hydreigon family, but the Durant also compete with them for second place.

They only care for themselves, and aren't afraid to bully or injure other Pokémon to obtain food or supplies, but sometimes they simply attack out of spite. In social sciences, aggression specifically means 'an intentional act of violence or intimidation to increase social or physical domination' and this is exactly Venipede's goal; to prove itself as the strongest in the area. This is done as a pre-emptive act of self-preservation; because if you rule the roost, then no one will dare harm you!

They are rather detached from their surroundings, and don't really pay attention to much, excluding enemies. When they aren't working or fighting they mostly wander dozily, until someone or something spurs them into action. It's a common sight to see them clamber up a building or tree, only to randomly fall off and think nothing of it. Due to this many people see them as boring and uninteresting Pokémon that cannot be bonded with. This is close to the truth, but not entirely. Venipede do have their own thoughts and ideals, they just aren't interested in pursuing them, being mostly interested in asserting domination. Venipede can be bonded with, although it is an arduous ordeal.

**Lifespan: **As with most Bugs, Venipede's lifespan leaves much to be desired; reaching about 5 – 7 years of age. Even though they should be focusing on evolving, the Venipede don't seem to care.

**Diet: **Venipede are omnivores that prefer vegetation, but won't hesitate to eat other Pokémon. They seem to be put off by human meat, though. Generally, they will only eat carnivorously if working in a group with other Venipede.

Over the years Venipede have become adapted to most abnormal foods, so it's okay to feed them human-orientated foods. They don't like salty things however, so keep your pretzels to yourself.

**How To Bond: **Bonding with Venipede is a huge challenge; although not as severe as Scolipede. If you thought bonding with Sewaddle was difficult, you're in for a huge wake-up call here!

When first encountering Venipede, you would have noted its aggressive attitude towards you. This will not change very easily, Venipede have been known to nip their trainers months after being caught. Most trainers release their Venipede back into the wild out of sheer anger or hatred.

So when you first capture this Pokémon, expect to slog through fire and brimstone before it even gives a sole nod of appreciation to you.

The only way to make Venipede obey you is by controlling it with fear. You yourself aren't much of a threat to Venipede, so for now you may need to elect one of your rougher, tougher Pokémon to dominate Venipede. This may sound cruel, but this is how Venipede are controlled in the wild anyway. If the lead Scolipede of each nest let the Venipede do as they please, they would run wild everywhere, even causing disturbances in human settlements. This forceful control is only temporary anyway, as Venipede knows when it's beat and submit over time. Once this has happened you will notice a remarkable drop in defiance, and only then will Venipede listen to you.

Trying to bond with Venipede any other way is truly a wasted effort, and a Poison Sting may be your only reward. Any actual bonding time should be reserved for when it evolves into Whirlipede, when it can't really do much else anyway.

**Battling: **Venipede is surprisingly quick for its appearance, and it's exoskeleton provides it a decent amount of Defense against enemies. That being said, Venipede relies on its poison to win victories. Its tactic is to endure the foes attacks until it has the opportunity to poison them, and then patiently waits for the venom's effects to kick in, taking the foe down for Venipede.

Due to this, Defense Curl is a great move to use, as it will enable Venipede to weather attacks, plus it can quickly turn into an offensive move also if backed up by a Rollout. I hear a Johto Gym Leader uses this move a lot, to great effect.

A Screech can lower the opponent's defences, making them vulnerable as Venipede prepares to inject its venom. Be advised that this move won't work against deaf Pokémon, of course.

Poison Sting and Poison Tail are your two greatest moves, so use them as much as you can. Most Pokémon will quickly succumb to the effects of Venipede's poison, but take note that fellow Poison Pokémon will easily resist it.

This tactic is the standard set for Venipede, but it works very well in most circumstances. Also, normally Flying types would be a big concern for a Bug type like Venipede, but it's venom is very effective on the simple nervous systems to birds, so some aerial foes may be put off attacking Venipede.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It is selfish, and will certainly attack or harass other Pokémon unless it is put in its place. This is another reason why brute force is a necessary tactic against Venipede, as not doing so can endanger your own Pokémon.

While it is indeed toxic, Venipede is by no means a powerful Pokémon. If you have a few evolved Pokémon in your team, they should be able to fight back effectively. Younger Pokémon may not have the initiative or strength to fight back however, so separation is important.

Unless Venipede is fully dominated, it will continue to bully everyone else; so don't be afraid to order your Samurott to spank its rear should it get out of order. Leave interpersonal communications for its evolved form.

**Warnings: **Venipede's venom is not always lethal, but is dangerous regardless. That combined with its violent nature makes it a real threat. Be extremely careful when in close contact with this Pokémon.

**Summary: **This species is dangerous, defiant and devious; it is a real handful even in the hands of experienced trainers. It's resistant nature makes it very unrewarding in the meantime, but it does evolve into a very powerful Pokémon later on. Capturing a Scolipede is near suicide, so if that's the Pokémon you're after it is much wiser, and safer, to start here.

**Next Time… Number 050 Whirlipede!**

* * *

**A/N: Even though I like Venipede, it is canonically brutal and aggressive. That means I to write about its mean nature even though I'd rather portray it as more pleasant. But I guess not every Pokémon is sprinkles and sunshine, are they?**

**On an unrelated note, Zebstrika is currently the most popular chapter, and Panpour is the least popular; I'm not surprised for either of these. Speaking of which, Scolipede is a very popular Pokémon, so I'm curious to see it if can replace Zebstrika!**

**If you are a fan of Scolipede (like me) would you mind explaining what makes it so cool? I'm curious to hear why it is so popular among fans. It would also help out with the upcoming chapter too.**

**Fun Facts: Venipede is based on a centipede. Venipede is rather stubby whereas centipedes are long, so it is more likely based on a pill bug.**

**Venipede is a combination of venom and centipede.**

**The Venipede family is the only species beside Seviper that can learn Poison Tail. Before Generation V, it was Seviper's signature move.**


	57. 050 Whirlipede

**Number: **# 050

**Type: **Bug – Poison

**Species: **Curlipede

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Wheega

**Description: **Whirlipede! The latest in blending technology, this little gizmo can make homemade Cheri juice in a matter of seconds! Buy it at your nearest Pokemart today!

Joking aside, Whirlipede is a rather curious Pokémon. If glanced at from afar, it could easily be mistaken for a car tyre. Try not to actually make that mistake though, that could hurt its feelings quite badly.

This intermediate form is simply a temporary stage for the Pokémon to prepare and develop so it may evolve into a fine, healthy Scolipede. This bears a noticeable resemblance to Swadloon's role in its own family. The other day Bianca, the assistant of my nemesis, delivered some Kabuto samples from Scientist Fennel. While she was here (probably stealing documents for Juniper!) she asked me why some Pokémon, like Whirlipede, have three forms and some only have two, and that is indeed a good question.

While the requirements to evolve are amazingly diverse, most Pokémon evolve by conserving energy within their body, and use up this energy to evolve. But some stronger species such as Scolipede require a huge amount of energy to be evolved into, and weaker Pokémon such as Venipede simply can't store enough energy into their bodies at once to be able to accomplish that. Thus, the middle form is used. With this larger, stronger body, they can conserve enough energy to evolve, and at a quicker rate.

Because Whirlipede cannot eat, it cannot gain energy through feeding. Instead, Whirlipede contains a special organ that replicates a generator. Whenever Whirlipede whirls about, energy is generated via the physical movement. But for some reason Whirlipede does not like being seen this way, so it only does this when not observed, by humans in particular. Due to this, most people think that Whirlipede always remains still. Juniper included that in the Pokédex, even though I told her not to.

It's hard shell is composed of many layers of chitin, protecting it from harm in this otherwise vulnerable state. Feeding it calcium carbonate while still a Venipede can make this shell considerably harder, a worthwhile action indeed. The two horns protruding from its 'head' plus the small spikes located along its body; contain small poison sacs which can inject venom into foes. Getting run over by a Whirlipede can inflict up to _twelve_ poisonous bites, yet only six bites are required to put a human adult into anaphylactic shock.

**Personality: **In this form it is much less aggressive, but it is still far from friendly. As a Venipede it would ruthlessly attack anything on sight and pursue it until exhaustion; but now as a Whirlipede it only attacks those who approach it, regardless of their intentions. After evolving from a Venipede in the wild, it will whirl away from its previous nest deeper into the forest, so it may generate energy in peace.

Whirlipede's personality can be summed up into three words: calm, observant and independent. This is almost the entire opposite of its previous form, so its new behaviour can be a little disconcerting if you knew it for some time as a Venipede.

Due to its lack of mobility and communication, Whirlipede can barely interact with its surroundings so instead it observes everything around it. How it will behave as a Scolipede depends entirely on what it learns in this form.

**Lifespan: **As previously stated, this form is intended to be temporary only. With that in mind, it is no surprise that Whirlipede lives from 7 – 12 years of age, including the years as a Whirlipede.

**Diet: **Given that it lacks a mouth or any sort of orifice (excluding the tiny holes which venom is injected through) it is clear that Whirlipede does not require food. For most creatures, food is broken down and separated into nutrients and waste. The nutrients are further broken down into energies such as Glucose, and wastes are expelled.

But Whirlipede skips this entire process and makes its own energy with a unique organ that functions like a generator, producing energy by rolling around. I'll skip you the rest of the science, but let's just conclude that Whirlipede is too awesome for food, alright?

That being said, you don't need to provide any food for Whirlipede.

**How To Bond: **If you want to have a Scolipede at the end that _won't _try to kill you, now is the most vital time. Scolipede's personality is decided by what it has witnessed and experience in this form, and its opinion will never change. It will not forget anything either and has a habit of holding grudges; so while it may seem vulnerable to you now, every time you kick it will be a time it sticks its poisonous claws up your rear as a Scolipede!

You need to treat Whirlipede like royalty for the time being. It may be hard to spend pleasant time together with a Pokémon that can't talk or cuddle you like others, but remember this form normally lasts around four months, whereas a Scolipede's lifespan is close to a human's, so these few months can make the rest of your life pleasurable… or hell.

Give it at least three hours a day to whir around, any open area will do. Whirlipede will appreciate it very much if you enrol it in races, as this will allow Whirlipede to generate energy and if it wins, receive a little boost to its ego. A well achieved Whirlipede is a pleasant Scolipede.

Other than that, talk to it lots. Tell it how it's going to grow up into a big strong Scolipede, and that you're going to be so proud of it. When it realises you have its back, it will return the favour later on.

**Battling: **It's not intended for battle, but it can hold its own in plenty of fights anyway. As you can quite clearly tell, Whirlipede has little in the way of attacks, excluding poison and slamming itself into foes. In exchange for offensive power, it receives high defences capable of shielding itself form heavy attacks.

Its main tactic is to stay mobile, constantly running about and keeping the enemy on its feet. When it sights a weak spot, it will lunge in with great speed and either slam into them or attempt to poison them. Poison Sting and Poison Tail are still your main weapons here, but Venoshock is the big gun now! This attack is moderate on its own, but if the target is already poisoned (and it likely is!) then it deals double the damage.

If you'd rather focus on protecting yourself, then Iron Defense is the way to go. This will toughen up Whirlipede's already hard shell, making it frustrating for opponents to even scratch it.

You must always watch out for Fire type moves! While it may look like they did little damage, they can heat up Whirlipede's shell and burn it internally. These can be very serious and aren't easy to notice, so it's better to play it safe and heal Whirlipede after every battle involving fire.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Whirlipede won't be very interested in your other Pokémon, and it will keep to itself. It may attack them if they approach it, so beforehand you may need to plead with it to behave. On the other hand, you need to make sure that your Pokémon treat it nicely, even if they dislike it. Otherwise Whirlipede will not forget their harsh words after it has evolved.

So long as everyone acts kindly, as false as it is, everything should go fine. If you have any fast Pokémon, try involving them in a race with Whirlipede. This will let them bond together appreciate each other's speed.

**Warnings: **Whirlipede is much more docile than its previous and next forms, but it still has an aggressive streak. Don't approach it suddenly or by surprise, or you may find yourself full of venomous holes.

**Summary: **It's surprisingly well behaved, most people expect worst when their little Venipede evolves, or they manage to catch one in their pokeball. Even so, it can be dangerous if not monitored closely in this stage, so if you plan on having a good Scolipede, you need to act now! This Pokémon should only be caught once you are confident in your training skills.

**Next Time… Number 051 Scolipede!**

* * *

**A/N: I had to think hard about how to open this chapter, so I started off with a lame pun. A little bit of quirkiness makes for a nice change though, doesn't it?**

**It was difficult trying to come up with a personality that was separate from Venipede's, so I went for a more reserved direction. I feel a little sorry for Whirlipede; it must be terrible locked up in your own body like that!**

**I'm gonna try my best with Scolipede's entry, since it's really popular and lots of people will probably skip straight to it.**

** Rastan: Heh, I thought something along those lines. It's funny since I was going to make well-trained Scolipede out to be tsundere or even yandere anyway. I remember something about great minds thinking alike?**

** Guest: I'll give a few facts to you regarding poison types **

**Poison is the most common type in Generation I; even as of Generation V, over half of the Poison-type Pokémon currently known were introduced in the first generation.**

**Nearly 1/4 of the Generation I Pokémon are Poison type.**

**Only odd numbered generations have introduced pure Poison-type Pokémon.**

**It may seem like the Unova Pokédex has less poison Pokémon, but that is because it is far smaller than the other Pokédexes and only contains Unova Pokémon.**

**Fun Facts: It is based on a centipede, and perhaps even a car tyre. Its name is a combination of whirl and centipede.**


	58. 051 Scolipede

**Number: **# 051

**Type: **Bug - Poison

**Species: **Megapede

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Pendror

**Description: **Here we have it, ladies and gentlemen! The brute from the forest, the unstoppable tank, the feared force of nature, Scolipede!

Humans have feared this Pokémon for longer than any other species in Unova, dating back to our very conception as a species. It was many hundreds of thousands of years ago that humans mutated from the Mew species, but even in our first years of existence we knew to avoid this primal horror, a creature that has existed when Genesect were plentiful. Some fossils indicated that Scolipede was the only species back then that even dared to clash with the Genesect species.

Why were they feared more than any other species, you ask? Well, as you know humans lived in simple, small colonies back then, and much of the world had yet to be built in or even founded upon. Due to that, there were Pokémon dotted around every corner of Unova, some kind, some hostile.

Seismitoad couldn't hurt you if you avoided swamps; Basculin swarms only killed you if you ventured too deep into the water, Krookodile only got you if you wandered too far into the desert, and the Jellicent couldn't touch you if you stayed on land. But Scolipede were _everywhere. _No matter where you ventured too, they were waiting to tear you apart heartlessly with their poisonous horns. At that time, it was better to stay and die; because fleeing back to your settlement could spell doom for everyone.

Over the hundreds of years our species has adapted to this world; and slowly but surely intertwined our fate with that of many Pokémon species, some more than others. But Scolipede has always remained as the wild card, and untameable spirit that defies humans with all its vigour.

But nowadays it is finally possible to obtain somewhat friendly Scolipede. This is because people have devoted at least two thousand years to bonding with Venipede. Even though wild Scolipede fight humans, all the captivity-bred Venipede have slowly begun to trust humans, and when released back into the wild, things slowly began to change. Despite all our efforts, a wild Scolipede cannot be tamed. But with taming Venipede now a possibility, with patience, you could one day earn a loving Scolipede.

This species is the only known species that dared fight back against the Genesect in prehistoric times. This is because of its sheer strength, speed and determination. It's thick, armoured, segmented shell can shield it from even the toughest attacks, and its heavy body can crush a light armoured vehicle, and its powerful claws can penetrate steel plating. So to summarize, even a military vehicle cannot protect you from this Pokémon! Its poison is beyond lethal as well; reportedly even a Hydreigon will slowly succumb to the venom if bitten multiple times.

**Personality: **Scolipede are defiant and proud, and will not submit to anyone unless bonded closely with as a Venipede or Whirlipede. They romp and stomp about their forest homeland, tearing anyone or anything that obstruct their path. In a boulder sits where they want to sleep, it will swiftly be throw far away, probably crushing some other clueless creature. Wherever they live, they are the ruler, and everyone avoids them on pain of death. This excludes even stronger Pokémon such as Druddigon, Haxorus and Hydreigon, as well as legendaries like the Sacred Swordsmen.

They are astounding aggressive, attacking anyone that approaches for no reason at all. Furthermore, they will relentlessly pursue anyone until they have claimed victory, making them an extreme threat. They have been known to chase people across the land for multiple weeks, and one man was attacked by the same Scolipede he thought he had evaded four months ago! This species is a biological terminator, it's actually a good thing they weren't tameable back in the Great War, otherwise many more lives would have been lost.

When fighting, they are savagely vicious, killing and maiming enemies when there is no reason to do so. They also won't take no for an answer and can be extremely pig-headed; upon evolving whatever opinions and beliefs they held have now been set in stone, and will fight for these until death.

Take note that all of the above only applies to wild Scolipede. If you tenderly raised a Whirlipede into a domestic Scolipede, it will be far more docile, and while still being highly aggressive to foes, will probably not replicate its brutal wild counterpart. Its opinions will still never change, so I hope you taught your Whirlipede correctly!

While wild Scolipede trust no-one, a well-loved tame Scolipede may become very devoted and loving towards their trainer. Perhaps their species secretly yearns for affection, regardless of how callous they appear.

It is usually very pleasant to have a Pokémon love you, but for a species such as Scolipede, they don't just love you, they love _love_ you. This can be very troublesome, because once Scolipede has assigned you as its mate; you sure as hell know it's never going to change its mind! Scolipede are very possessive, so if it loves you then it won't let anyone, human or Pokémon, come near you. It may even hide you away so it can have you all to itself. In extreme cases, it may even kill others to have the only it loves.

Sometimes they act like they have no interest in their trainer at all, and may even bully them slightly; this is their way of displaying affection without letting out their softer side. A foreign word comes to mind regarding this behaviour… tsundere?

**Lifespan: **Scolipede's lifespan takes a massive leap in length after evolving; it can now live up to 86 years of age! That's an obscene period of time for a Bug type, but it only makes it more evident how enduring this species is.

**Diet: **They are omnivorous but prefer the taste of meat, especially that of fallen enemies. Scolipede is content to eat any type of meat, so it is important that you teach it not to eat particular Pokémon such as trained ones, otherwise it will eat whatever it wants to.

Watchog, Liepard, Unfezant or even Zebstrika make great meals for Scolipede, and they are abundant and readily available. Scolipede will be able to take all of them down without worry either.

Scolipede _needs_ meat in order to survive, but in times of starvation it can eat berries or human foods. It won't be happy about being forced to resort to such measure however, so you better make a remedy quick.

**How To Bond: **I'll tell you this now. Attempting to capture a wild Scolipede is suicide. Even if you somehow manage to exhaust it enough to capture it into a pokeball, it will never obey you. Instead, it will kill you and everyone else nearby on its journey back to the wild. Catching a Pokémon in a pokeball doesn't mean you've captured its heart, and the heart of a wild Scolipede simply cannot be captured.

On the other hand if you evolved one from a Whirlipede, its behaviour depends entirely on how you treated it in that form.

If you treated it like crap, you are probably dead by now and obviously not reading this. So… this paragraph is rather pointless.

If your treatment was simply standard, it will appreciate your contribution to evolving and listen to what you have to say. However, it will still remain independent to you and will retaliate should you use force to push it around. While it is not a threat, it will still abandon you should you jerk around with it.

If you truly loved it and made that clear, then it will be fully devoted to you and follow you anywhere. Your ideals and truths have become intertwined and it will see the world from your perspective. This is a huge difference from the primal terror from millenniums ago. Even though it loves you, it probably won't want to admit that. Amusingly, they often get flustered if you tease them about their affection. A blushing Scolipede is a very satisfying thing to see indeed.

It will need lots of time just being alone with you, playing together, talking together, doing whatever together. Scolipede don't do much in their own spare time, so it will be content to do whatever you like. Sports are great things to do together; I've heard that Scolipede are rather talented at badminton!

No matter what Scolipede's disposition is, it will still naturally want to fight and compete. Thus, it will want to partake in many fights. Try entering a tournament down at Driftveil every now and then, as Scolipede will love throwing foes around those mesh cages. Races are a good sport as well, particularly if it partook in plenty as a Whirlipede. Bianca mentioned something about an immigrant from Johto starting a racetrack in Aspertia City…

Overall, Scolipede has mostly bonded well with you (hopefully) during its time as a Whirlipede, and this form is more about reflecting on that and improving together. So long as you act nicely, things should go fine.

Unless, of course, Scolipede adamantly loves you. In this case, it is important to ensure that Scolipede respects you desire to remain non-intimate shortly after evolving, otherwise things will swiftly go downhill. A possessive Scolipede is not going to let go of you no matter what. They may even prevent you from going anywhere so they can remain your sole source of attention.

You may actually _want_ to be with Scolipede, and that's perfectly fine. Human x Pokémon relationships are on a 3% rise this year, I heard. Just don't come crying to me if you get poisoned from a lovebite.

**Battling: **This Pokémon is feared for a reason; it is a destructive force when used in battle, and few Pokémon can stand in the way of one of these critters. Most Pokémon specialise in one stat, but Scolipede does well in _all_ of them! Few Pokémon can boast having high Attack, Defense and Speed all at the same time, you know. Add Scolipede's deadly poison, and you have a beast to be reckoned with.

Normally Flying types would have an advantage over Scolipede, but its own venom is enough to take down any frail birds pestering you. Rock types can deal some pain, but Scolipede is more than likely able to toss them away. Fire types are still a concern however, particularly ones such as Darmanitan and Chandelure. If your Scolipede still knows Rollout, now would be a good time to utilize it.

While Poison Sting, Poison Tail and Venoshock remain as your main moves, you still have a lot at your fingertips to work with. Agility will boost Scolipede's speed greatly, making in a looming threat over and bulky foes. Steamroller can crush smaller foes with ease, and can even make them flinch. In this case, you have the opportunity to finish them off with poison.

Toxic is a fantastic move, as Scolipede's venom will gradually worsen as time passes. It's a good idea to use this at the start, as it will make the foe more vulnerable as the battle progresses.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Scolipede will have no interest in your other Pokémon, unless they did something really compassionate such as risking their life to protect it as a Whirlipede. It should refrain from hurting any of them so long as you warned Scolipede to play nicely beforehand. Regardless, it would be wise to have a Pokémon stronger than Scolipede (if you somehow have one!) to prevent things from getting out of hand. Be careful, this can sometimes confound the situation if not resolved swiftly.

Your other Pokémon may be frightened of Scolipede, so you may need Scolipede to prove its modesty before they act nicely. Scolipede won't behave if everyone around it acts cruelly, and you can't punish Scolipede for crimes your other Pokémon have committed, that would be an injustice.

**Warnings: (!) **Since you're reading this, it's clear that you raised it well as a Whirlipede. That being said, you still need to treat it nicely; otherwise you may find yourself being torn apart, or raped senseless and then torn apart.

**Summary: **Scolipede is a very dangerous and powerful Pokémon. It can cause death and destruction if used in the wrong hands, and is certainly not an easy Pokémon to deal with. Even so, it can be very loyal if treated correctly and make a great friend and team member. Keep in mind that you will be living alongside a Pokémon that has terrorized humanity since its very beginning, so for goodness sake don't piss it off!

**Fuhri's Note: **Hah, when attending University, I rode there on a Scolipede. Professor Juniper and all her little friends sped past on their horrid mopeds, but it's all about arriving in style, right? My friend Charles (who unfortunately dropped out of University to 'be a heart-breaker') used to be so jealous! It's been so long since then…

Ah, I've been locked up in my lab writing this book for so long! Lillipup's been tugging at my leg to play fetch for an hour or so… I think I better enjoy some sunshine for the time being. Coincidentally I'm one third through this guide! I can't wait to see Juniper's jealous face when I make millions after publishing this guide!

**End of Part One**

* * *

**Next Time… Number 052 Cottonee! **

**A/N: There we have it, one third of the way through! I feel accomplished even though it mustn't matter to you.**

**Can I tell you a little story? When starting this guide, I wasn't expecting it to go anywhere. I expected to upload a few chapters, get no reviews or views, and have it fade into obscurity. But as I started, I found that I was having a huge amount of fun writing it, so I decided to at the very least write about all the starters.**

**Soon, reviews starting coming in, and I realised that lots of other people, not just me, were having fun with this guide, so I decided to continue it. It is with a resounding 'yes!' that I can say I will complete this guide, as it has been the most fun thing I've ever written before! Staring another region is still very far off, but it's something I plan for over the horizon.**

** Guest: I'm glad you enjoy the humour! I was concerned it was not funny and just lame, so that's a relief.**

** Rastan: Sorry for not replying to PM's, I often forget to respond to them because I get swamped by so many. Lots of people send weird PM's asking me to include OC's even though it's not really a story focusing on that… Anyway, I'll try to respond to PM's from now on!**

**I'd like to say thanks to all the people, reviewers and viewers, who have come with me this far. It's your support which convinced me to continue with this guide!**

**I'm a little tired, so I'll rest here for a tiny while. I'll see you again when I start on Cottonee! **


	59. 052 Cottonee

**Number: **# 052

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Cotton Puff

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Monmen

**Description: **Cottonee are supposedly a romantic sight but I beg to differ; all they do is float aimlessly and spray cotton in your eyes. I guess that may sound romantic if you have a cotton fetish and can't stand still, but I digress.

Most Grass type Pokémon have plant-like traits or physiques, but Cottonee takes this to a whole new level! For most species, all they need is a mother and a father from the same egg group to be born. But in order for Cottonee to be born, the mother must always be a Whimsicott. If the mother is of another species, the babies born will always be of that species, and not Cottonee.

This is because of the wholly unique way that Cottonee are born. Nearly all Pokémon are born from eggs, but Cottonee are born from their mother's back!

After being fertilized by a male, a stem will grow out from the back of the mother Whimsicott. After about a week small Cottonee babies will begin to grow; much like how flower heads grow upon a plant' stem. It will take about four weeks for these babies to fully develop, and during this time the mother cannot move and must patiently wait for her babies to grow.

Finally when the babies have fully developed, they break off from their mother's stem and begin to drift away on the wind, thrust straight into the world without respite. At this time the mother hurriedly gets off her back and waves goodbye to her babies, of which she never had the chance to meet. As heart-breaking as this is for her, she knows this is vital. If the baby Cottonee cannot fly away immediately, they will soon fall to the ground and die. If you truly love someone you'll let them go, and Whimsicott fully understands this.

Since Cottonee always follow the flow of the wind, they always meet up with all the other Cottonee around that area, forming massive clusters of them in the sky. Since they all share the same e lifestyle and goal, all of them get along well. For the rest of its life it will wander wherever the wind takes it, never complaining about its helplessness.

It's only desire is to one day come across a Sun Stone, so it may finally evolve. Due to the weather patterns, a flock of Cottonee will come across Route 4 annually, where Sun Stones are abundant. Not every Cottonee manages to grab one, so sometimes they may have to wait many years before their wish is granted.

This species is incredibly light, and is tied in as second lightest alongside Joltik, following closely behind Tynamo. This is absolutely vital to their survival, as otherwise they wouldn't be able to float. Its main body resembles a germinated cotton seed, with actual cotton being produced all around its form. Because Cottonee has a similar physical and genetic make-up to that of real cotton plants, we believe that Cottonee may have evolved from cotton plants, or had its form mutated to match them, for whatever reason.

**Personality: **As expected of such a Pokémon, they are very laid back and deal with things as they come along. They never know what's going to happen next, but they don't mind. Due to this nature, they can deal with sudden situations even with no prior preparation. This makes some people believe Cottonee already knows what's going to happen, but in reality the Cottonee are totally clueless. Assessing situations quickly like that is a handy tactic, and is probably what has kept this species thriving for all these years.

Their community spirit ensures that they get along well with everyone, and in generally they are a very friendly species. On top of that they are rather curious and will drift away from the group (but not too far!) to investigate something that catches its attention. They seem to take a huge interest when people and Pokémon play together; maybe they want to join in some games too?

Optimism is another one of Cottonee's strengths, as it always tries to think as positively as it can. You can tell when one is really happy, as it will slowly rotate and flap its leafy 'wings'. Unfortunately they often become depressed whenever it is rainy, as the water saturates their body and makes them incapable of flying, forcing them to take shelter from the rain. Even though they have a typing advantage over Water Pokémon, they still fear water greatly.

Despite their positive and relaxed disposition, they are easily startled. When this happens, they will rapidly releases bulky amounts of cotton in self defense. It's not a good idea to sneak up on one, unless you want a face full of cotton.

**Lifespan: **Cottonee live up to 30 years of age, which gives them about 30 opportunities to evolve, which should be more than enough to ensure that they finally get their own Sun Stone and evolve into the longer living Whimsicott. I personally find it a little heart-breaking knowing that in rare cases some Cottonee may never evolve. They spent their entire life trying and hoping to evolve, only to have those dreams crushed. I wonder how bad that feels?

**Diet: **Being a pure plant type, they use photosynthesis to survive. Since they usually live high up in the sky where sunlight is abundant, they don't have to worry about food at all. Your own Cottonee won't be as close to the sun, but so long as you let it out into the sunshine at least four hours a day it will stay healthy.

**How To Bond: **Cottonee will be both friendly and curious towards you, even if you just beat the crap out of it and captured it several minutes ago. So long as you talk nicely to it and spend a little time playing with it, it will like you in no time. It's no surprise that an easy-going Pokémon makes for an easily bondable companion. Keep in mind that it does need some freedom due to its nature, so try to avoid cooping it up inside buildings for too long. It won't mind spending some quality inside-time on a rainy day, however.

In Cottonee's eyes, the greatest act you could ever do for it is provide it a Sun Stone. Since you have captured it and prevented it from wandering around Unova, it will no longer have the opportunity to find one on its own. It would normally have to wait at least a couple of years to find one anyway, so it will be eternally grateful to receive one as a gift.

You should bond with Cottonee for at least a month before presenting it this gift, because it's evolved from Whimsicott is very mischievous and if you haven't made yourself an important part of its life; it may just run away giggling.

**Battling: **It normally has no interest in battle and would rather flee, but if you have proven yourself it will fight for you.

Cotton has rather adequate Defense, but regardless it is rather weak in battle. Since it is so light, attacks that generate a lot of gust will send Cottonee flying about everywhere, worsening the situation. Even so, it has good speed and can generally move away from incoming attacks. Most of its attacks need to be used at a distance, so keeping away from the foe should be your main goal.

Being a pure Grass type means that it has a lot of weaknesses you have to watch out for. Flying types are generally faster than Cottonee and can quickly pick it apart. Fire will severely damage Cottonee no matter what you do, so in this case you need to return Cottonee immediately. Rock types go fantastically well with Cottonee, as they can take down four out of five of Cottonee's weaknesses, and it Cottonee can return the favour.

Absorb, later replaced by Giga Drain, is great for stealing from the enemy and giving to yourself. Using this repeated not only wears the enemy down, but makes Cottonee even more energetic. Stun Spore can temporarily slow the enemy down and allow you to revise the situation.

Cotton Guard is Cottonee's signature move, for obvious reason. This move builds up a massive cloak of cotton to shield Cottonee, making it nigh invulnerable to attacks. Try using this move just before the enemy lands a hit, as that will stun them, giving Cottonee enough time to retaliate.

Offensively, Razor Leaf, Energy Ball and Solar Beam are the way to go, depending on whether you want weak but swift attacks, or slow but heavy hitting blasts.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Cottonee always cheerfully agrees with whatever the group has to say, and will follow without questioning. This may make Cottonee sound lifeless and bland, but that's because it's saving up its wild personality for when it evolves!

Take note that Cottonee has a huge fear of water, so if it sees any of your Water types spraying water around it may panic and cause trouble. This will usually consist of it spraying cotton everywhere in panic until it calms down, but it's still a nuisance to have to clean that all up.

Some other Pokémon may take Cottonee's submissiveness as an invitation to bully it, so remind Cottonee that it's okay to tell on bullies!

**Warnings: **Don't let Cottonee wander too far away on really windy days. They can only fight wind up until a certain point where they can no longer resist and are swept away. If this happens you'll never see it again.

**Summary: **Cottonee is a very simply and easy Pokémon to care for. Since it bonds quickly and doesn't even need to be fed, it is fantastic for starter trainers. Be advised that its evolved form is very naughty and troublesome, so make sure you are prepared for trouble (and make it double!) before handing over that Sun Stone!

**Next Time… Number 053 Whimsicott!**

* * *

**A/N: Cottonee, the cream puff Pokémon. Joking, joking. I don't really like Cottonee that much, but it's evolved form is absolutely adorable!**

**Are you looking forward to a particular chapter? If so, which ones?**

**Fun Facts: Cottonee and its evolution are the only Pokémon that can have the Infiltrator Ability without it being their Hidden Ability.**

**It is based on a ball of cotton, but it also resembles dandelion seeds and clouds.**

**Cottonee may be a corruption of cottony, or cottonweed. **

**Monmen is a corruption of **_**momen (cotton)**_** but it also sounds like Mormon. Now I'm getting images of Cottonee at my door asking if I have a moment to talk about our savour Arceus… **


	60. 053 Whimsicott

**Number: **# 053

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Windveiled

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Elfuun

**Description: **If you ever hear rustling and giggling at 1:30 in the morning, it will be these guys stealing your kitchen utensils.

Despite their incredibly cute appearance, these little critters are notoriously mischievous and world famous for being expert pranksters, capable of wreaking mayhem on whatever their little paws can grab. Unfortunately for you, and me, and everyone else in Unova, Whimsicott can enter anywhere they please.

Three years ago, shortly after the first fall of Team Plasma, the paranoia people suffered from their attacks made crime rates slowly rise; causing buildings like banks and prisons to maximise their security against all the new ruffians stalking the cities. The National Bank of Unova at Castelia City took this to the extreme and installed the most advanced security systems possible.

Stealing from them would be nigh impossible anyway, so no-one was surprised four months later when not a single dollar had been taken. But on one day as he checked the security footage, one security guard could not believe his eyes. In the largest vault, without even being detected, were three Whimsicott leaping about the stacks of gold! Sure enough, he raced down to the vault only to find that they had slipped out again without detection. Fortunately nothing had been taken at all, but it was still a huge insult to everything that security companies stand for.

Banks aren't the only place they sneak into either. Practically any building is an invitation for them to enter and cause mayhem. Houses, shops, apartments, you name it. There's a chance that they will sneak in at night to mess everything up. Fortunately, their antics are always harmless and simply inconvenient. Common pranks include moving furniture, switching electronics on and off, scribbling on the walls and leaving piles of cotton balls everywhere. Arceus have mercy on your soul if they enter your house at Christmas time however!

I've had my own run-in with them too; when I had just bought this lab years ago I came back to find mayhem everywhere. They had switched chemicals, released gases, unscrewed light bulbs and even urinated in the sink. They should be grateful that they had already run away.

All of this is thanks to their flexible body. They have organs, bones and blood just like most Pokémon, but they can contort or twist these into absurd shapes to fit through any gap. They can harmlessly dislocate their own bones, and amazingly these bones can _retract_ into themselves, much like how a car radio antenna does. Their organs and bloodstream are also incredibly tough, stretchy and resistant to damage. Despite being around 0.7 metres (70 CM) tall, they can manage to fit though tiny gaps smaller than 3 Millimetres! This involves not only constricting themselves, but flattening themselves out as well. These guys are a wonder of nature.

After evolving from a Cottonee Whimsicott can choose to travel where they please, and while some stay in nature many flock to human settlements, hiding in secret places like attics. They seem to take a huge interest in humans and spy on us all the time.

**Personality: **Whimsicott are a bundle of ecstatic hyperactivity, unable to stay still for even the shortest period of time. With their light body they bound around the area, leaping from one thing to another, this makes them hard to catch or return to their pokeball as many a vexed trainer can testify. During this time they giggle or even scream with laughter, particularly if they are evading you on purpose. They seem to treat everything like a game and live freely.

They are also overemotional and minor things can have a huge effect of their attitude. While they are nearly always happy, shouting at one just once and make them burst into tears and sob loudly. If you've ever made your little sibling cry in public, you'll know how awkward this feels. It's difficult to anger one, but they readily become frustrated, particularly if something doesn't go their way. During this time they huff and puff and cross their little arms in defiance, but if you start tickling it Whimsicott will cheer up again.

Most of their time is devoted to games and playing, and they despise chores. If you try to make it do a job, no matter how menial, it'll probably pull down your pants before floating out of grasp. They can't help but play pranks on people, as it is fully inbuilt into their personality.

Due to their fanciful nature, Whimsicott is another species that is vulnerable to falling for their trainers. When this happens they aren't scared to display their affection and make it very evident how much they like you. Displays of affection can range from cuddling and snuggling, playing lewd pranks, or demanding extra attention. Apparently they will steal your clothes when you get in the shower, so you have to walk around the house naked while they laugh their fluffy rears off. I don't know whether that's a naughty thing or a pervy thing, but either way that must be humiliating.

**Lifespan: **The life of a fairy should be short, but Whimsicott stubbornly lives for a long time, at around 48 years of age. Perhaps it's trying to outlive you so it can prank you at your funeral…

**Diet: **It never had to eat as a Cottonee thanks to photosynthesis; but now it may be very surprised to find its tummy rumbling!

Due to its activity it will need plenty of sugary and sweet foods to keep itself running, and thankfully they have a big sweet tooth. Anything high in sugar and glucose will do, and I hear that candy floss is a huge hit for them.

They require small but frequent snacks rather than proper meals, so it's a good idea to carry around a lunch box or a snack pack full of goodies for them to eat. Don't feed them sour things though, they'll get really mad at you for that.

**How To Bond: **Whimsicott are naturally curious and open-mined, so it will stick around to learn about you if you caught it from the wild. If you have evolved it from a Cottonee, it will be extremely grateful and hopefully you planned this so it had plenty of time to bond with you prior to evolving it.

As you will already be well aware, these creatures need to be watched intently to make sure they do not cause mischief. Do you have a sharp-eyed Serperior or Braviary?

Contrary to belief, Whimsicott actually do obey their trainers. However, they carry out those orders at their own pace and with their own style. This can lead to unforeseen circumstances and chaos, so refrain from giving it important jobs such as deliveries. They demand a lot of attention and personal time, so it's important that you have some one-on-one time alone with Whimsicott. Neglecting to do so will make Whimsicott feel unloved as encourage it to cause trouble to get your attention.

So long as you can keep it entertained and put up with its mischief, then Whimsicott is a relatively easy Pokémon to bond and care for.

**Battling: **Whimsicott treat battling just like everything else, as one big game. Due to this they may hover about and not take the opponent seriously, which can result in a rapid loss for you. To remedy this, encourage Whimsicott to win the 'game' by beating the opponent; it will be more than happy to oblige.

Its stats are well balanced but focuses on Speed. I already mentioned this earlier but Rock types support Whimsicott greatly in battle, as both Pokémon can cover each other's weaknesses.

Just like all other Pokémon that evolve via evolutionary stones, Whimsicott can learn very few moves after it has evolved; so it is better to patiently wait for your Cottonee to learn plenty of moves before evolving it up.

Mega Drain steals health from foes and bestows it to Whimsicott, so this move is a good way of recovering from tough fights. If Whimsicott is exhausted before a big fight, make it use this move on all of the nearby wild Pokémon. Sharing is caring, right?

Cotton Spore can slow the enemy right down, making it easier for Whimsicott to evade their attacks. It's also really funny to see some strong Pokémon covered in little cotton balls.

Tailwind is a fantastic move that nearly always ensures that your Pokémon strike first. With this you'll always have an advantage over foes, but beware of moves such as Trick Room.

Hurricane is your strongest offensive move, and not only that but it has a chance of confusing the foe. Even more, it can blow them away if you tire of battle. Whimsicott loves using this move by the way.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **As good natured as Whimsicott is, not every Pokémon is going to take kindly to this little prankster. Whimsicott's naïve nature means that it won't expect anyone to hurt it, so it will be horrified if someone gets revenge. This kind of treatment can break a poor Whimsicott's heart and make it depressive. It will also have a negative impact on its ability to trust other Pokémon. It can't helped that some Pokémon get mad at Whimsicott, and you can't justify punishing them for retaliating, so you actually need to have a talk with Whimsicott about how its actions affect others. You may need to rinse and repeat a few times to drill the message home, but eventually it'll realise it can't pee in people's foodbowls.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **If not watched properly and cared for, it can quickly become a nuisance. It'll never become a threat, but having an unwanted prankster around isn't useful. So long as you keep it entertained and feed its desire for fun and happiness, it should be a wonderful team member. They are very affectionate and lovable, once you breach the exterior.

**Next Time… Number 054 Petilil!**

* * *

**A/N: This is my new favourite chapter; I had a huge amount of fun writing it! I can image this species being the ultimate trolls. Whimsicott is absolutely adorable, I'd just love to pick one up and snuggle it! Although I don't know if I could deal with all of its antics…**

**For a very long time I thought it was spelt Whismicott instead of Whimsicott, so was rather hard to type it the correct way after so long.**

**Fun Facts: Whimsicott represents April in the Unova horoscope. It, along with Volcarona, are the only non-Flying-type Pokémon able to learn Hurricane.**

**It's based on a ball of cotton, as well as a sheep. It may be a reference to 'The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary'. Back in the medieval ages when cotton was imported to Europe, people thought that cotton came from a plant that grew lambs. They really needed to lay off the ale!**

**It may also have been based on the Brazilian folklore creature known as the Saci; both are brown creatures that live in forests, ride on winds, and play pranks.**


	61. 054 Petilil

**Number: **# 054

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Bulb

**Gender: **Petilil is a female only species.

**Japanese Name: **Churine

**Description: **When walking through the forest, do you ever get the feeling that someone is watching you? Believe it or not, but you are _always_ being watched whenever you are in the realm of fauna and flora; at least one Pokémon always has its eyes set on you. Fortunately, most of those eyes belong to these little lassies.

Petilil make up a staple per cent of the forest life around Unova, particularly within Pinwheel forest. There are actually so many that they would be considered a pest if they lived anywhere else besides the deep forest. They play loudly in the confines of the forest, but they have a very timid nature and will hurriedly hide whenever they sense a human approaching; allowing them to make a once clamorous place completely silent in seconds. One day you might be walking in the forest and hear giggling and chatter around the corner, but as you approach you find absolutely nothing.

For the last 100 years children from Nacrene City have played a game they call 'Courage'. In this game, children are dared to walk deep into Pinwheel Forest and cry: "Virizion, guardian of the forest, do you seek human flesh today?" and wait for a response. Of course they don't get a response, since it is not Virizion whom they talk to. I must also mention that Virizion certainly does not devour human flesh, but children have a habit of making everything seem evil or scary. I think the children are aware of Petilil, but they would rather enjoy the scary proposition of a haunting Virizion.

Petilil live in large groups of around 30 members usually lead by one Lilligant, but if there is a lack of Lilligant it will be led by the wisest Petilil available. There are many of these groups scattered around the forest, and they very frequently mingle with each other. This species evolves into Lilligant by coming into contact with a Sun Stone, but those do not naturally form within forests and thus are rare. In general only a few Sun Stones are obtained each time, allowing only 1 in 30 Petilil to evolve. This in turn makes Lilligant very rare indeed.

Due to this the Petilil rely on other Pokémon to import Sun Stones into the forest in some sort of trade. Notably, it is usually the Whimsicott who do this. As a Cottonee; Whimsicott must also wait for a very long time to find a Sun Stone… perhaps they take pity on this species' plight?

Despite being officially registered as a female only species, Petilil lack any sort of genitals, making them incapable of breeding. This is another reason why they are so dependent on Lilligant. There are only two reasons why they are registered as female. Firstly; their evolved from Lilligant are female-only and have genitals. Secondly, they have almost no testosterone but have high estrogenic levels.

**Personality: **As previously stated, they are very timid and flee at the smallest noise. This is part of their survival instincts; but it's not really necessary. At least one Petilil will somehow get a Sun Stone every month, and since there are so many of them it doesn't matter if lots die, so long as one survives they can repopulate.

This bashful attitude seems to be directed towards humans; as they will almost never show themselves to humans once hidden; But will always come running out to excitedly greet any Pokémon they come across. They _are_ one with nature, so perhaps they instinctively fear us due to our negative impact on the environment?

That may not be so, because regardless of how reticent they are, they have a strong sense of curiosity that gets the better of them. Due to this they follow humans around in the shadows and will pop their little green heads sometimes to get a better look. Sometimes they turn this into a game; by leaning out when you turn your back, but hiding again when you look. They giggle while doing this, making travellers even more paranoid.

The nutritional composition of the leaves on their heads is notably similar to that of ginseng. These leaves can rapidly revitalise anyone who eats them, even if they are on the verge of starvation. They happily feed these to any human they come across, and are not concerned with revealing themselves when someone's welfare is at risk. That is quite similar to another Pokémon I covered earlier now… isn't it?

**Lifespan: **They don't live for very long, only reaching around seven years. This is another reason why they so strongly desire Sun Stones, because then they can extend their wilting life. If you want to feel safe and secure while in the forest, leave some Sun Stones lying around for the Petilil. In gratitude they and the Lilligant will watch over you whenever you walk through.

If you're a good trainer, you will buy your Petilil a Sun Stone. Unova has a great transport and import system making it easy for humans to obtain things such as these, so there really is no excuse for not getting one.

**Diet: **Photosynthesis is their only source of nutrition. It should have been obvious since they don't have a mouth.

**How To Bond: **After first being caught Petilil is going to be very scared and will probably hide from you. So for the first few hours just let it rest inside its pokeball to calm its nerves. After a while it'll get bored, and its natural curiosity will get the better of it. Try letting it out of its pokeball somewhere nearby, where it can watch you without being noticeable. At that time, do something nice with your other Pokémon such as feeding them. Once Petilil sees that you treat your Pokémon nicely she will come shuffling up to get a better look.

They don't like being treated roughly, and they certainly don't like loud noises. So whenever Petilil is around you, try not to yell or act aggressive, even if you are worked up about an upcoming battle. Once startled it can be a challenge to calm them again, as you will probably learn.

But once that bond of trust has been formed, Petilil will fully trust you unless you break it in a treacherous way. Unless you're violent or abusive, you needn't worry.

Gifting a Sun Stone will make her love you straight away, but it's better to earn her trust through acts of kindness and time spent together.

**Battling: **They aren't suited for battle, as their tendency to flee can testify. They have a lot of weaknesses, few strong points and no counters, so they aren't an easy Pokémon to use in battle.

Despite that, their movepool suggests that they are intended to be used as a supporter rather than a fighter. Due to that, it's a better idea to keep them in the background of the battle, assisting your other Pokémon whom will be right into the fray. I must also mention that she can learn few moves after evolving, so it's important that you teach it plenty of moves before you evolve it.

Sleep Powder and Stun Spore are good debilitating moves that can make things a whole lot easier. After all, foes can't do much when they're asleep, right?

Giga Drain can perk Petilil up if she gets hit, making her self-supporting as well. Aromatherapy can also remove status effects from other allies, so it's very useful when fighting Poison or Ghost Pokémon.

Magical Leaf and Energy Ball are her two good offensive moves, but if she gets pissed off she might let off a Leaf Storm!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Unlike humans, she completely trusts fellow Pokémon. Expect her to come toddling up to play excitedly with any of your other Pokémon the instant she meets them. Most Pokémon will be happy about this, but some more serious Pokémon may not appreciate the gesture and swat her away. Since she doesn't expect cruelty, she will be very shocked by this and become very upset indeed. You can choose to either warn Petilil or your grumpy Pokémon beforehand, but either way so long as one understands to respect the other, then things should turn out alright.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Petilil isn't the strongest in battle, but once it has bonded with you it can be a great friend and will happily follow you anywhere. She's a low maintenance critter and if you're observant she can be easy to catch. If you notice a rustling bush, quickly throw a pokeball!

Overall she's good for any trainer, but will serve a novice trainer well. Her evolved form Lilligant is a better Pokémon yet, so with a little patience you could set yourself up for happy times later.

**Next Time… Number 055 Lilligant!**

* * *

**A/N: I had absolutely no idea what to do when I started this chapter, so I spent quite a while just milling about. But then I got the idea of them secretly spying on humans in the foret, and everything else developed from then on. It's amazing how just one idea can spark a whole trail of motivation…**

**I get the feeling that not many people are going to read this chapter though, since Petilil isn't very popular. So if you're reading this then… you… uh… are cool! Yes! Cool!**

**Fun Facts: She's based on a bulb, most likely that of a Tulip. She may also be based on garlic or an onion bulb. But that should be reserved for Celebi, shouldn't it?**

**Petilil may be based on: Petal, petite, petunia or lil'.**

**Churine may be a combination of churippu**_** (tulip),**__**yurine (lily bulb),**_** and ne**_** (root).**_


	62. 055 Lilligant

**Number: **# 055

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Flowering

**Gender: **Lilligant is a female-only species.

**Japanese Name: **Dredear

**Description: **Lilligant are known as the fair maidens of the forest, and they suit this title very well.

Despite being the leaders of the Petilil, they do very little in the way of leading. Instead they take a more motherly, or to be more accurate, big sisterly disposition. The Petilil can mostly take care of themselves, so Lilligant is just there to make sure they don't run into trouble. Most of her time is spent playing with the young ones or scouting ahead to deter any threats. She does her very best to befriend all the neighbouring Pokémon so they will be discouraged from attacking the Petilil. In other times she meets up with all the other females of the forest to do whatever woman do in their spare time.

Lilligant are an even rarer sight than Petilil, and for two valid reasons. Firstly, as you would know if you read Petilil's chapter, a Petilil can only evolve into a Lilligant by coming into contact with a Sun Stone. Since they cannot be found within forests, the Petilil must patiently wait until some are brought in, and even then only one in thirty Petilil has the opportunity to evolve. This increased difficulty to evolve is what makes Lilligant a rare species.

Secondly, Lilligant are incredibly valued and popular. Due to their natural beauty, many people go out and catch them just to parade them around, most particularly celebrities. Because the Petilil look up to her, she knows she needs to stay in the forest alongside them, and thus goes into hiding so she can't be taken away from her little family. Even though not every human wants to catch her, she still can't tell the difference and thus will avoid everyone.

It is truly a shame too, long ago before people sought her out; she was very friendly and always came out to play gentle games with all the children coming through. But human selfishness has ruined that, along with most of our comradeship with the wild Pokémon of Unova… In this rare instance I will agree with that normally incorrect Juniper and say that sometimes it's better to leave Pokémon alone.

On a lighter note, Lilligant works very hard to produce more Petilil babies. While she is away from her young Petilil, she will search for a willing male that can fertilize her. Her beauty ensures that most males will fall for her in an instant, perhaps some suggest that Lilligant physically adapted over the thousands of years to accommodate this base desire. If there is a lack of willing mates, she may use Sleeping Powder on an unwitting lad for the sake of species. Even though humans and Pokémon cannot produce babies together, she may even try this on a human. If you suddenly wake up in the forest with your fly unzipped… good grief.

She lays her eggs in a peculiar way, digging holes up and laying the eggs much like how you'd plant a tulip bulb. Over time they will grow up out of their shell and into the world, ready to crawl off and join a Petilil group.

**Personality: **She is not timid like Petilil; in fact she is very expressive and wears her heart on her sleeve (or in this case, her leaves). Despite that she is very elegant and dainty, making her have the personality of a refined but carefree princess.

She will bow gracefully when meeting friends and invite them into her domain, before leaping up to hug them joyfully. Even though she does not eat food, she gathers berries. She gives these to her friends or anyone else she takes pity on. But if she gets mad at someone, she will throw these at that person while hiding.

Lilligant also loves to dance, but this is a very rare sight in the wild so few have ever witnessed it. Apparently one young camera boy who was chasing his disobedient Zorua through the forest, managed to get a short video of one twirling around before she saw him and vanished into the bushes.

Even though they are very pretty, they don't seem to be concerned with physical appearances and are quite modest; something that other women, both human and Pokémon, envy greatly.

**Lifespan: **They live for a very long time, mostly so they can secure the survival of their species. 114 years is an age that few Grass types can boast, but this is not an entirely accurate number, moreso just an estimate; as almost no Lilligant deaths have been observed in the wild.

**Diet: **The handfuls of berries they carry around would imply that they eat them, but in reality their only source of nutrition is sunlight, via photosynthesis. Since this means they cannot feed at night you would think that they would be lethargic at this time, but apparently they love dancing under moonlight. Is she trying to be romantic?

**How To Bond: **In the wildLilligant are incredibly rare, to the point where they are almost of mythical status. Because of that, you are more than likely never going to encounter one in the wild. Petilil, while still evasive, are more obtainable and thus you should catch one of those instead. If you have a Lilligant now, that means you've evolved it through the use of a Sun Stone and as a result it will dearly love you already.

To summarize, Lilligant is already your devoted friend and unless you punch her in the face, that's not going to change. She likes a simple life so it's not a good idea to take her to the city with you. She'll certainly be horrified by the lack of fauna and may panic. She will need lots of time to frolic about and do trivial things like sniff flowers, so may will need to take her to a park or forest at least once a week. She is also very social with other Pokémon so she will want to walk around the park making new friends. Keep in mind that some lovelorn males may start following the two of you, so you may need to take on the overly-protective father role and tell them to buzz off!

**Battling: **Just like Petilil, a dainty girl like Lilligant is not suited for battle. But a leader like her needs to be able to fight for the sake of her friends, so she can certainly pack a punch when need be!

She's a little more enduring and faster upon evolving, but she still has a lot of weaknesses you have to watch out for. Flying types can be deterred with moves such as Stun Spore, but they move use far-range moves that Lilligant cannot counter. Fire types are a huge concern, as poor Lilligant will be incinerated, and it takes a very long time for her to recover from burns.

I must remind you that she learns very few moves upon evolving, so I hope you waited for Petilil to learn some strong moves before you handed over that Sun Stone!

Notably, three of Lilligant's moves are dance moves. Teeter Dance can cause absolute havoc for foes, and works well with large enemy groups such as those pesky Sewaddle. But be advised that this move confuses _every_ Pokémon in the area, including allies and neutral observers. This can mean that you can make even more enemies if this move is not used correctly!

Quiver Dance is a wonderful move that raises Special Attack and Defense as well as Speed, making Lilligant a fearsome threat in just seconds flat. She sometimes likes to draw the length of this move out so she can enjoy the dancing, however.

Petal Dance is a powerful move, but once it starts it cannot be stopped for quite some time, leaving Lilligant vulnerable as she twirls around. Once her dance is finished she will become confused, making her even more confused. Due to this, you should have it reserved as a 'fantastic finish move' so you can take down foes in a beautiful flurry of petals.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **She has a strong natural desire to make friends, not only because she is a kind lady, but because making quality friends will deter them from attacking her little group of Petilil. Even though she no longer has to worry about the Petilil with you, she will still follow this basic instinct. Due to this, she will use her charm to quickly befriend all of your Pokémon quickly.

Be warned that any immature lads might try to get all their junk in dat' trunk (isn't that what the kids say?) so you will need to smack them on the paw if they give her any dirty looks. Some species simply can't handle themselves so you might need to keep a sharp eye on her while they are nearby each other.

Other than that she will do her best to keep the peace and help the others form friendships with each other. This species is really fantastic on almost any team, so if you're having some issues with quarrelsome Pokémon think about obtaining a Lilligant!

**Warnings: **None. Well… she _may_ follow her instinct to get herself fertilized, so if you see her acting funny around you, keep her out of the room while you sleep, okay? Ultimately it's your choice, but if you're at a hotel you'll have a tough time explaining if the maid walks in. I think I saw that on a comedy show the other day?

**Summary: **Lilligant is both rare and difficult to obtain, but once you have one you will be immensely grateful that you do. She's kind and caring, and can make many Pokémon stick together like glue. She isn't hard to take care for, yet she does her very best to support her trainer. In my books, she's highly recommended for any trainer, especially those who need a helping hand.

**Next Time… Number 056 Basculin!**

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**A/N: When I first saw Lilligant, I was sure she was going to replace Gardevoir as the 'hot girl' of Pokémon. Surprisingly, I was wrong. I guess she doesn't have Gardevoir's elegant charm? **

**I was very surprised today; my 3D Pokédex I bought for my 3DS downloads three new Pokémon each day, and today I got Lilligant! It's a little coincidental that she popped up while I was writing this chapter. **

**Personally I'm looking forward to the following upcoming chapters: Maractus, Sigilyph, Yamask, Cofagrigus, Trubbish, Zorua and Zoroark. There's a lot more that I'm looking forward to, but they're still far off yet. I'm not looking forward to Basculin though…**

**Review Responses: (yes, I'm making another segment, I'm aware)**

** Itto: Ohoho, even though it's far off I have already have a great opening paragraph for Magikarp!**

** King: Great! I like Mienfoo and Mienshao as well.**

** Rastan: I don't like Darumaka and Darmanitan either; and you'll see why in their upcoming chapter. Hee~**

** Todestee: Sure! I had something like that in mind anyway.**

**Fun Facts: Lilligant is the only non-Bug-type Pokémon that learns Quiver Dance. Lilligant is the only Pokémon that can use Petal Dance without becoming confused, providing she has the Own Tempo Ability, except Smeargle, which can also learn Petal Dance via Sketch and can have Own Tempo.**

**She may be based on a hoya, rafflesia, orange flowers or carnations. She could also be based on 1700's high class woman's fashion. **


	63. 056 Basculin

**Number: **# 056

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Hostile

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Bassrao

**Description: **Oh? You caught a Basculin, did you? Well good for you. I personally like them fried with a dabble of lemon, tarragon and garlic sauce- What? You don't want to eat it? You want to _train_ it?! I can't really recommend that, but I guess I have to write an entry for every Pokémon, huh.

Basculin are everywhere, and I mean _everywhere_! Wherever there is water, you will find these irritating little fishes peeping at you in the water. They are seriously as endemic as the Magikarp located all across the rest of the world.

Lots of foreigners mention how Basculin are a refreshing sight from all the Magikarp from wherever they come from, but by the time they leave they run screaming to cuddle a fish back home. What is the difference, you ask? Well, in foreign regions there is quite a diverse amount of fish Pokémon populating the water, Magikarp, Goldeen, Qwilfish, Octillery, Barboach and Remoraid are all great examples. But in Unova, Basculin is the only common fish native to Unova.

Due to this, nearly every Pokémon you encounter in water will be a Basculin. Sure, Alomomola and Frillish can be encountered out at sea, and Palpitoad, Seismitoad and Stunfisk can be found in swamps, but barring those locations all you're going to see is Basculin, Basculin and more Basculin.

Even though many people will disagree, their irritatingly common presence is actually a good thing. They may be near useless as a trained Pokémon, but their role as a source of food is fantastically helpful to our survival. Basculin are rather bland on the outside, but their meat is delicious even by itself! It's considered a staple part of an Unovan's diet, most particularly in the small fishing villages dotted along the eastern coastline. It's very nutritious too, so eating plates of Basculin regularly is good for a child's growth and development. Although in recent years people have started including Basculin in their fast food chains, somewhat negating its healthy effects. Even so, its combination of tastiness and abundances has ensured that few Unovans have ever starved, except in drought.

I must also mention that Basculin is one of the extremely few Pokémon in not only Unova, but the whole world, that has a form difference. There are two distinct subspecies populating the area, but there are no differences besides physical appearance. Hah, you didn't actually think that blue Basculin you caught was shiny, did you?

**Personality: **As their species name can decree, they are a violent and hostile species of Pokémon. Anything that enters their habitual water will be savagely attacked without mercy. Unlike most fish Basculin have teeth, and sharp ones too. With these they can easily tear large chunks of flesh off of both humans and Pokémon. When truly ravenous such as in famine, a large gathered pack can reduce a Bouffalant to naught but gnawed bones in forty seconds flat. But that requires many Basculin and extreme starvation to be achieved.

In normal times they will only nip at you angrily until you leave the water, but will use more and more force the longer you insist on staying. But even an aggressive Pokémon such as this one knows better than to kill humans for no reason, so they will only kill you in dire circumstances. Their bite can be rather painful and can scar, though.

They snap at everyone for no reason, but when alone they are actually very docile. This is because their aggression is based on the instinct that they need to assert themselves as the superior species within the area. Unfortunately (or, fortunately for us) they aren't particularly intelligent, and these two traits combined mean that they have a habit of doing stupid things such as attacking Seismitoad or Scolipede. If it weren't for their sheer amount of numbers, their idiocy may have driven them to extinction.

There are two different forms, and even though they are incredibly similar they despise each other with overwhelming hatred and prejudice. Upon sighting each other, these two forms will battle to the death, whether on a one-on-one scale or an all-out massacre. Even a well-trained one will become addled with bloodlust upon sighting an opposite formed Basculin.

But strangely, some Basculin fit in perfectly with the other group with no issue at all. The strangest part of this is none of the other form question this or even think to attack this invading Basculin. This phenomena has not yet been explained. Perhaps they have temporary treaties?

**Lifespan: **They don't live for very long but have a rather wide range, usually around 3 – 8 years. It depends on how frantically that particular Basculin fights. Most don't survive that long anyway.

**Diet: **They are entirely carnivorous, eating anything that enters the water except humans unless in starvation. Anything that lacks a hard exterior and has a soft skin should be just fine to feed them. In the wild they usually devour the other subspecies. Given that they both reproduce at a steady rate, this is actually good as it keeps the waters slightly safer.

Due to this, setting your Basculin into the river may result in it getting eaten, so you will want to check which subspecies is dominant in the area and whether they match your particular Basculin. If they match, then you can let yours out without worry.

If you can't bring yourself to letting Basculin massacre everything in the water, there are processed meat packs. Plenty of food, without all the gore. Basculin might not appreciate you being so cheap, though.

**How To Bond: **Hah, you have a better chance of bonding with a rock than this mindless fish. In fact, why don't you just name a rock 'Basculin' and then carry it around everywhere, so I don't have to waste my time writing this pointless segment.

Oh whatever then. Look, this Pokémon isn't really intelligent enough to actually care for you like most Pokémon can. Due to that, neither of you are going to be able to understand each other on the intimate level that you can with you other Pokémon. At the very best, this Pokémon sees you nothing more than a leader that needs to be followed.

With that in mind, you don't need to bother with all of the sentimental things that you would normally do while bonding with a Pokémon. Keep it a totally business-like, no-strings-attached relationship.

For quite some time, it certainly isn't going to listen to you. And if you try to come into the water, it will bite you in aggression. It may take a month or two, but with patience they can eventually start behaving and even listening to you. Interestingly, they are smart enough to understand battle commands. Are they just not trying to be friendly?

Letting it out and feeding it every day over a long period of time will make it stop attacking you and start behaving. This is because it will begin to recognise your face and associate it with food. When you can't control a Pokémon through its mind, you control it with its stomach.

**Battling: **I don't know why you actually want to include this Pokémon in a fight. Are you going for some personal challenge?

Anyway, Basculin can only fight in water, making it rather useless in nearly all situations. Even if you do find some water, Basculin is going to have a very tough time defending itself from anything not also in the water. In reality it's only good for fighting other Basculin, and even then there are other Pokémon who would do a far better job. Are you regretting your decision yet?

It usually fights by swimming up with high speed and rapidly tearing off meat to put the foe into shock and blood loss. This may not always work, especially if the foe has a tough hide or is inorganic.

Aqua Jet is one good move that Basculin has, as it's lighting quick movement means you can strike the opponent at least once before falling in battle. Basculin can also use this to hurriedly flee from a tougher foe if need be.

Aqua Tail and Double-edge are the two good offensive moves you have to use. But I really recommend teaching it the TM Ice Beam, which will let it cover both its weaknesses. Be careful of freezing water though, it could produce unforeseen adverse conditions.

Overall Basculin is a pretty useless Pokémon in battle, with only average stats, only useable in water, and a shallower movepool than a kiddypool. Even Magikarp has more potential than this monster, as it can evolve into something very powerful indeed. I think that rock you named Basculin might do a better job too!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It will eventually bond with you once it realises you're the one securing the next meal, but it won't have any compassion for all your other Pokémon, whom will provide it nothing. That being said, it will attack them constantly so it's better to keep them separated, even though simply keeping them out of the water will do.

On the other hand, many Pokémon eat Basculin as well, so don't be surprised to see your Zoroark or Beartic sheepishly gulping it down one summer evening. After all, it's just an easy meal to them!

**Warnings: (!) **Don't get into the same water with Basculin if you're still on bad terms with it. All you're going to achieve is a missing hunk of your leg.

**Summary: **Overall, it's probably the worst Pokémon in all of Unova in terms of battling, skill, companionship and everything else that comes to mind. Writing this particular entry was a total waste of time as I doubt anyone would actually want to catch one to personally own. I could've spent that time discrediting Juniper…

**Next Time… Number 057 Sandile!**

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**A/N: I'll be honest, I hate this Pokémon. I hate it so much. The only reason I do is because it's everywhere. Wherever you surf, chances are you're going to encounter a Basculin, which I painfully learnt when I first started playing my Pokémon White. Did you get sick of it too?**

**On an unrelated note, summer is well established here, and the days and nights have become unendurably hot. It's really hard to concentrate and write this story well on sweaty, muggy nights like this! I envy the people of the northern hemisphere, who are all probably nice and cold…. **

**Oh! I forgot to mention! I'm starting on another story called Legendary Origins. It's a collection of stories that looks at how each of the legendaries came to be who and where they are now. Anyway, I'll be alternating between the two stories, so chapters may be uploaded more slowly. This guide is still my main project, though!**

**Fun Facts: Blue-Striped Basculin is the only Pokémon capable of legitimately having four different abilities, with Rock Head being the Ability of an NPC-traded Blue-Striped Basculin from Driftveil City in Pokémon White.**

**Basculin shares its species name with Zweilous. They are both known as Hostile Pokémon.**

**Basculin's Pokédex entry in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 describe the species as being very tasty, one of the rare instances that hint at Pokémon being used for food.**

**It's appearance and characteristics may be based on betta fish and piranha.**

**It was revealed in an interview with Ken Sugimori that Basculin was added to the game late in production, as they felt they needed a 'common fish' species. (Geez, thanks) It is another species based on something American, and it is based on the wild bass in New York.**


	64. 057 Sandile

**Number: **# 057

**Type: **Ground - Dark

**Species: **Desert Croc

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Meguroco

**Description: **If you step on one of these little critters while trekking across the deserts of Unova, you'll certainly know about it!

These little Pokémon are seen only in arid biomes, most particularly in the deserts between Castelia City and Nimbasa City, respectively. Desert Resort and even Relic Castle are common haunts, but they are still very common all around Route 4. Summer is when they are most frequently spotted; huge groups happily march everywhere they please under the summer sun, sometimes causing mischief for wandering travellers and shop-keepers living by the roadside. But in winter, seeing just one is a very rare sight indeed. This is because of Sandile's heavy dependence in heat.

Sandile is a cold-blooded Pokémon of reptilian descent; it is one of the most evident and typical examples for reptile Pokémon, as most other reptiles have traits that often conflict with normal reptilian stereotypes.

Due to its nature as a cold-blooded creature its own body cannot keep itself warm like ours, and thus relies on external heat to keep itself alive. This is called thermoregulation; most accurately it's a form of ectothermic heating via conduction. Oh dear, did I overwhelm you with those words?

Basically, ectothermic heating is when you use something outside of your body to keep yourself warm. Humans use clothing and blankets, but we also go into the sun or stay by fires if need be. Sandile doesn't do this; instead it lives within a shallow layer of sand, with only its eyes peeping out. The sand will be heated by the sun, making sure that Sandile keeps nice and warm. They spend most of the day digging around under the sand, playing games such as chasing each other and play fighting. If it's a really hot day, they will happily run above ground, playing merrily all around the area.

They have a fantastic relationship with their neighbours, the Darumaka. On cold nights Sandile may have been unable to gain enough warmth to survive for the night, so Darumaka happily shares its natural warmth. In winter, Sandile go into hibernation by digging large burrows about two metres below the surface. Darumaka often join these burrows and rest alongside them; giving Darumaka somewhere to rest, and Sandile the warmth it needs to survive.

Despite being fully independent and living by themselves, they spent a large amount of time with other Sandile. After coming out of their little dens in the morning, they scurry away to play with all of the other Sandile. While they get along great with each other, and the Darumaka and Maractus, any other Pokémon will be attacked on sight. We've yet to determine the cause of this aggression.

**Personality: **Sandile are interesting in the fact that they are very energetic and boisterous in safe homely areas such as their homelands, or your house; but can be very timid when in a new or unfamiliar area. The same can happen when separated from friends or trainers and left alone. It seems Sandile do not like change and prefer to stay in places and with company that they feel safe with.

In their habitat they are rather friendly, except if you have your foreign Pokémon out. They seem to be very curious about humans and wish to interact with us, as they frequently approach the market stalls that are set up along Route 4; although perhaps they are trying to steal food.

Another hint of this is the behaviour locals call 'devil footsteps'. When resting, they sometimes burrow into the sand and rest right on the edge of the road, so they can observe anyone walking past. They all line up beside each other, and since their eyes are the only visible part, it looks like a long line of black footsteps streaking alongside the path. It's a little intimidating to see them glaring at you as you walk past, but they mean you no harm.

When caught and taken away from their home, they will be very distressed until they have learnt to trust you and become familiar with wherever you call home. Even then, it will swiftly panic whenever something central to its life is altered. Sandile needs a home, and moving too frequently can cause it to develop severe anxiety issues, even to the point where it will refuse to leave its ball. This is incredibly cruel, so if you are travelling you will need to return home and wait for it to evolve.

But when they do feel safe, they often have quirky or unique personalities; playing curious games and collecting various items. I hear they really love building blocks! Having a Sandile around can really liven up a place, so they're good for pessimistic people. Despite being a Dark type, they are not devious in the slightest; that is reserved for their later forms.

**Lifespan: **Sandile live around 30 years in general, but it varies from individual to individual. They die rather swiftly if they go too long without warming themselves up, however.

**Diet: **They are a rather curious case; they _can _eat berries and Pokémon pellets to remain fed, but prefer the meat of a fresh kill. This has gained them a rivalry with both the Braviary and Mandibuzz families, as the Sandile will raid their nests and eat the Rufflet and Vullaby residing there. Not every Sandile makes it out alive during these daring raids.

After coming with you it will eventually switch to pellets and berries, but will really love the taste of cooked meat. Are you sure you want to keep that Basculin? Oh, and don't be surprised if you take it to the park one day and spot it sneaking up on an unsuspecting Pidove.

**How To Bond: **As you could gather from the previous sections, Sandile can be a very arduous Pokémon to care for unless you plan on waiting around the desert for it to evolve months later.

Your first concern after catching it is keeping it warm. Before even attempting to catch it, you need to ask yourself whether you are capable of catering to that need or not. It _can _survive in a place other than its home desert, but without the intense sunlight it is going to be notably more lethargic. With that being said, taking a Sandile to a cooler location makes things exponentially tougher, getting worse as it gets colder.

It will need more hours resting in the sunlight than you can keep up with, if you live anywhere that has an average temperature below 18°C. Most moderate climates can cater to that in summer, but winter is a real concern.

On the other hand, fireplaces and heaters will certainly give it enough heat to run around most of the day. In colder weathers it will still have to spend more time inside, however. Silph Co. recently started selling a new product: a full body thermal costume for Sandile! This will keep it completely warm in all but the coldest climates, giving you peace of mind. It's called 'Super Skin' or something like that, but be advised that Sandile reportedly become really embarrassed when seen walking around with those things.

Now, to the next part. Sandile is going to be very frightened when you first take it out of its pokeball. It's most likely going to run into a corner and hide shivering until found again. Due to that you'll want to first take it out within an enclosed room. As it looks around talk to it nicely, offer it food and generally try and make yourself appear appealing. Once it sees you as a good person, it will leap into your lap for security. At that time, you can walk it around and show it your house and general area, so it can get to know the place.

After about three days its curiosity will convince it to start walking about and explore the place on its own, but it will still jump at every surprise, and most likely come screaming back to you. This is normal and you should act calmly whenever it happens. Getting mad at Sandile is only going exasperate the situation and won't solve anything.

Playing some nice inside games such as building blocks or reading picture books will be a good way of furthering your trust with Sandile until it is ready to go with you to different places. Try taking it to the pokemart once or twice!

Although Sandile's insecurities are quite misfortunate, it gives a fantastic amount of time for you to personally bond with Sandile. Once it evolves it'll wizen up, and Krokorok will behave more for you out of gratitude for your kindness as a Sandile.

**Battling: **Sandile are accustomed to fighting in the desert, so battles in any other location are going to be disorientating for it. They dive under the sand and swiftly swim around and attack enemies from blindspots; relying on Speed and Attack to cover for their rather fragile defences.

Their dual typing gives them multiple weaknesses that you have to watch out, most notably Water and Grass. Fighting and Ice aren't too common, but Sandile has little it can counter with.

Bite and Sand Attack are its favourite moves, usually used one after another. It sweeps up a great amount of sand (or dust if applicable) to stun the enemy, before leaping in and dealing a bite wound. Note that Sandile is making a risk whenever it makes this tactic.

Embargo prevents any opposing trainers from using items on their Pokémon; which is great from preventing them from healing status conditions.

Crunch is its strongest move, and it really packs a punch when it counts. Even though it's strong, its power will be negated if used against a resistant Pokémon such as a Fighting type.

**With Fellow Pokémon:** Sandile does not get along with Pokémon not of its natural habitat. Anything that is not a Sandile, Darumaka or Maractus is going to get bitten!

That being said, there is a chance that it may cooperate within those first scary weeks due to insecurity, or it may be even more aggressive. You'll be able to tell immediately based on its initial reaction upon meeting your other Pokémon for the first time. If it growls or snaps at them, then it needs to be separated, immediately. Let them see each other from a distance, so it can become familiar with their faces. Warn it that it will miss out on fun and happiness if it does not cooperate, and over time it will submit to this idea. Take note that the actual time depends on each Sandile in question; some are more cooperative than others.

It seriously does not get along with Rufflet, Braviary, Vullaby or Mandibuzz, so you _must_ keep them far away from each other at all costs, or they will battle to the death. It's a silly idea to even think of having them on the same team.

**Warnings: **Sandile are very playful with their trusted trainers, but sometimes may bite you without realising it hurts. It won't break the skin, but it's still not good to let it get away with that sort of behaviour, especially after it evolves! Make it very clear you are unhappy when it does this, and it will get the message.

**Summary: **Unless you suddenly become a desert nomad, Sandile are a tough Pokémon to care for. They require a lot of specific attention and it takes a long time for them to trust you or your Pokémon. But they are good natured and evolve into a strong Pokémon, so if you're willing to work hard now, it will be pay off.

**Next Time… Number 028 Krokorok!**

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**A/N: Sandile… I don't usually like reptiles (unless you count dragons!) but Sandile is rather cute, and Krokorok is pretty awesome-looking. The idea of Sandile being insecure external to the desert came from Ash's Sandile being insecure without its glasses; however I think I kinda overdid it.**

**Despite this being a tiring chapter to make, it was quite fun. Going to a desert sounds like fun too, but I'd probably get sick of it five minutes after showing up.**

**Everytime I upload a chapter, I always get a feeling of discomfort and begin to wonder if I did something wrong or made any mistakes. (It doesn't help that autocorrect always changes words into what they shouldn't be!) What's that called? Writer paranoia?**

**Review Responses:**

** Rastan: Yeah, I heard rumours about Basculin's origins, but I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to include something like that, in case someone took offence… And thanks! I'll go ahead and include that in the Litwick family when they pop up.**

** MewBlade: Oh dear, I thought it would be a lovely snowy wonderland like in all the American movies and such, but I guess that's Hollywoodian depiction.**

**Fun Facts: Sandile and its family have a unique typing combination; Ground – Dark.**

**It is based on a crocodile, most likely a slender-snouted one. It's eyes also relate to a stereotypical burglar's mask, in relation to its Dark affinity. Its ability to swim through sand may be based on a sandfish too.**


	65. 058 Krokorok

**Number: **# 059

**Type: **Ground - Dark

**Species: **Desert Croc

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Waruvile

**Description: **Krokorok is different from its previous form, in almost every aspect possible. You would've been able to tell when it folded its arms and turned around to moon you, but I digress.

In terms of physical appearance, they are relatively similar. Sandile was a quadruped, so it walked on four legs. As a Krokorok, it is now bipedal, as it walks on two legs. This gifts Krokorok a huge boost in speed, allowing it to sprint across the heated sand at a frightening pace. With Sandile only being able to shuffle along at an slow pace, this might be an unsettling revelation for anyone who previously owned it as a Sandile.

The black ridges protruding from its spine and tail are worth noting, as they serve a good purpose. In its natural habitat of the Unovan desert, Krokorok lies just below the surface of the sand, waited for a prey to come by. When it spots a prey, it will approach them silently and lay in front of them, out of sight under the sand. As they step down on Krokorok's hidden spikes, they will fall down in pain, allowing Krokorok to leap up and finish them off. Unless the foe has Forewarn or tough feet, this is a very useful tactic.

Its scales are rougher; allowing it some better defences. As compensation, this makes it more difficult for Krokorok to move underneath the sand, meaning that it must live aboveground for most of the time. This isn't much of a problem, as Krokorok no longer has a heavy reliance on heat and warmth as it did as a Sandile. Yes, that's right! You no longer have to hide it by a heater, or make it wear embarrassing suits. It's all free to wander around now!

Krokorok's eyes also look deceptively similar, but in reality they are far more advanced. These eyes can switch to another form of eyesight and detect thermal radiation, allowing them to see certain things even in pitch-black darkness. The usefulness and convenience of this talent is subjective, however.

In simpler terms, these eyes can let Krokorok see through heat, rather than light like we humans do. This means that Krokorok can tell the difference from heated things and cold things. For a carnivorous predator such as Krokorok, this means it can spot prey even when they are well concealed. This eyesight has many more uses, for example if a fire has started somewhere in a building, Krokorok will be able to see it and warn everybody even before the fire alarms can detect it. Additionally, Krokorok can assess someone's health from checking their general temperature. They know when a fever is about to strike.

**Personality: **Personality is where Krokorok really deviates from Sandile. Did you find Sandile's timid and nervous nature to be cute or convenient? In that case it's such a shame that Krokorok is the complete opposite!

Krokorok is bold and haughty, and does not take kindly to those who order it around. They avoid showing compassion and only listen to whoever is the leader, of which is commonly a contested position. They generally work well with allies and share resources, something that differentiates them from the more savage Scrafty. But just like Scrafty, they are prejudicial towards foreigners or trespassers, and aren't afraid to bully weaker Pokémon around. But unlike the Scrafty, they show some degree of mercy towards their victims.

After evolving from a Sandile, they abandon their friends and wander off across the desert in search of a group of Krokorok to join up with. It can be very hard for a sole Krokorok to survive alone, so most groups are happy to have a new member, unless food is scarce.

Their Dark type allegiance results in them being typical bullies, pushing weaker creatures around and laughing at other's misfortune. But they know when a joke has gone far enough, and will not purposely badly injure someone unless in self-defence or starvation. Interestingly, they have even been known to help trainers being attacked by more savage Pokémon, such as Scrafty or Cofagrigus. Despite having a rather shadowy morality, they despise flat-out cruelty. Perhaps their rough tough attitude is a ruse?

For a Krokorok that was well treated as a Sandile, most of the above is null. They still have that mischievous spirit and will still act tough and cause trouble, but they won't have the mean streak that their wild counterparts have. They may even be protective of you! Please note that the previous statement is for _well-trained_ Krokorok. If you teased it for its insecurities, or just didn't show you cared, don't be surprised if it wallops you with its tail and marches off to bully some poor soul.

**Lifespan:** Being a desert Pokémon, Krokorok are survivalists. With that being said, they can live for a good period of time, usually around 35 – 45 years. I find it interesting that most Pokémon species can outlive humans even when not fully evolved… are Pokémon destined to live on even when the human race has faded into dust?

**Diet: **Krokorok are entirely carnivorous; which makes feeding it more difficult, especially if you convinced it to mostly eat berries and pellets as a Sandile. Regardless, it will need a standard amount of meat every day, so you may either let Krokorok do its own hunting every day, or frequently stock up on meat supplies. Being scavengers, they aren't too fussy with whatever meat you give it; but for goodness sake don't feed it the meat of a Pokémon you also have on your team! I don't think your Watchog will feel safe after it sees Krokorok much on a skewered Watchog.

Overall, this species needs frequent amounts of meat, which can become costly unless you let Krokorok hunt by itself. Given that Krokorok likes the thrill of the hunt, this is the most economic and healthy way for Krokorok to eat. If it goes too long without meat it can become anaemic, a serious health concern for a robust Pokémon like this one.

**How To Bond: **Oh dear, I think I've made a mistake. You see, Krokorok are really reliable yet mischievous when well treated as a Sandile, but treating it poorly will result in one total jack-ass Pokémon that will make you scream with frustration. I guess I should have warned you in Sandile's chapter… I hope you decided to read this chapter _before _your Sandile has evolved!

Wild Krokorok are rather rough to handle, since it most likely sees you and your band of Pokémon as a joke. Unless you can beat it into submission, or make it evident you won't tolerate horseplay, then it's just going to walk all over you. It'll take pride in this 'trolling' (as the kids call it these days) and laugh as you jump up and down in anger. I wouldn't bother catching one unless you're either calm, powerful, or both.

Regardless of how you treated it, it will always remember its vulnerable days as a Sandile. That's why it's so important to care for it well at this form, because your future relationship depends on each action you make.

A well-treated Krokorok is going to be grateful for all the support you gave it in its weak sate, and will be more than willing to return the favour. It may disagree or play harmless pranks, but that's a part of its fundamental nature and can't be helped. It can even do this to display adoration or affection. If you treated it really _really _well, it may even fall in love with you. The most commonly display this affection is curling their tail around your body, and/or grooming you with its front teeth. Whether or not you accept this behaviour, no harm can really come out of it. Krokorok may pack a tantrum if you tell it to keep its distance, however.

A poorly-treated Krokorok will feel unloved, lonely or even abused. Its tough exterior will not allow it to display these hurt feelings, so instead it will either act aggressive, disobedient or distrustful. You've already convinced Krokorok that you're either a cruel or uncaring person, and despite it not being obvious, you've really hurt its feelings. At this point Krokorok is going to be very difficult to train, and it simply won't listen to most of what you have to say.

Cooperation is a vital link between trainer and Pokémon, and not having this can potentially be dangerous, especially if it refuses to fight dangerous Pokémon for you. The only way to remedy this is by getting down on one knee and apologizing; and don't be afraid to eat some humble pie either. If you truly show remorse for your prior apathy, Krokorok just might reconsider listening to you.

**Battling: **Krokorok are suited for battles in arid conditions, so they will do super well in these circumstances. They use the common tactic of speed and overwhelming attack to take foes down at the cost of defences, but can also use stealth to their advantage if need to. This means that you should focus on using Krokorok as a sweeper, running in to deal huge damage before the foe can counter, and then moving out of the line of fire. This can really keep a foe on their toes, especially if you have a sturdy Pokémon such as Boldore to back Krokorok up.

Unfortunately it does not learn many moves before evolving into Krookodile, so you will probably have to use most of the moves it learnt as a Sandile. But don't worry! It is much more capable in this new form, and it can use all those moves for better effect. It still has a few tricks up its sleeves, however.

Dig is a fantastic move that lets you get the upper hand against opponents, running them right off their feet. This move is a great way to start battles, as the enemy will instantly be at a disadvantage and won't know what their dealing with. Please not that this move won't work on solid surfaces, so don't you even dare tell your Krokorok to use dig on a concrete surface!

Scary Face frightens the enemy, making them unwittingly move slower. This move is really good against young or impressionable Pokémon, to the point where they could be fully immobilized. This goes great alongside Krokorok's already decent speed, meaning it can get in there can deal some more hits before the enemy has time to react.

**With Fellow Pokémon: '**Krokorok are a bunch of meanie-poos!' is what some kindergartener told me the other day. Despite this being an inaccurate and childish statement, it isn't too far from the truth. Unless lovingly treated, Krokorok are natural bullies and hassle other Pokémon around, especially if they know they can get away with it. But if they are under the watchful eye of a stronger Pokémon who won't tolerate their shenanigans, they will behave for the most part. Expect it to cause antagonistic situations, and in general make everyone mad. It only does this for entertainment, so a good deterrent would be keeping it occupied with battles. On the other hand, if Krokorok is the weakest member of your team, it will quietly keep its tail between its legs and behave for everyone else.

**Warnings: **Krokorok is a rather sexual species that requires sexual release relatively frequently. It will usually take care of this by itself, and most Krokorok will keep themselves under control. However; a poorly trained Krokorok may be selfish and careless, so if you're a really bad trainer don't be surprised if you find Krokorok forcing your head between its scaly legs.

**Summary: **Krokorok require a lot of care and control, even prior to evolving. They are the type of species that really require a lot of devotion, so unless you're willing to commit a lot of time towards this Pokémon, it's most likely not worth it. It becomes even more difficult upon evolving into its final form, so once again you really need to prepare yourself for a tough journey when catching a Sandile or Krokorok. If trained well, they make good Pokémon and friends, and most of their bad traits are absolved or negated.

**Next Time… Number 059 Krookodile!**

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**A/N: Sandile is cute, and Krookodile is a little scary, but Krokorok is just awesome. The way he folds his arms like he doesn't care makes it evident too. I wonder if a Krokorok would get flustered if they were told they were awesome? I'll leave that up to you. This is a rather unrelated and silly remark, but Krokorok's portrait for Pokémon Conquest looks like he's amount to take a crap or something. What were they thinking?**

**It's Christmas Eve right now, so this'll be the last chapter I upload until Christmas is over. It doesn't help that since I live in New Zealand, I'll be celebrating Christmas before everyone else!**

**With that in mind, I want to wish a Merry Christmas to all my readers and reviewers, you guys are awesome! I'll see you after I'm done unwrapping presents and playing with Pokémon presents!**


	66. Celebrity Spotlight - Hard Man Clay

**Name: **Clay

**Japanese Name: **Yakon

**Typing Specialty: **Ground

**Gender: **Male

**Description: **If it weren't for this man, all of Unova would be in an immense financial crisis. The economy would've dived into an abyss of recession, businesses would've crashed, and Team Plasma would've won easily four years ago. Unova has never seen a man as shrewd, ambitious and business-savvy as this man.

Lots of people across Unova look up to him, most particularly the entrepreneurs of Castelia City's business district. But back in Driftveil City, he's revered as a god of mining and entrepreneurship! Apparently Byron and Roark, two Gym Leaders from Sinnoh, recently met up with him for a business discussion.

Why is this man so successful? What got him this far? Well, every famous man starts with humble beginnings and for Clay, that beginning was on the outskirts of his hometown of Driftveil City.

Even as a child, Clay was a very serious person. He wasn't interested in playing, and wanted to work hard to get his goals completed. His family was poor, and they lived on the outskirts of Driftveil City, at the foot of Twist Mountain. He was known as the 'poor freak who sat on the mountain all day'.

To vent his loneliness and anger, he would take his father's shovel and dig furiously away at the base of Twist Mountain, which was a decent walking distance away. He would yell that he would work hard and one day he would dig up the whole mountain, and have his own 'Clay Tunnel' filled with valuable minerals. Everyone laughed at him, until he found his first piece of gold.

Being the tough kid he was, he wasn't concerned if it was raining while he dug away; and it is that sole trait that has made him what he is today. Both Driftveil City and Twist Mountain have always endured a large amount of rainfall each year, and all the rain causes huge amounts of erosion all over the mountain. With the exterior levels of dirt and rock worn away, Clay managed to spot his first sparkling nugget of gold!

Turns out, a Drilbur had been keeping an eye on him for years, watching him as he steadily dug away at the daunting mountain. Drilbur are normally a species of Pokémon that keep to themselves, but this particular critter was impressed with Clay's hard work and determination, and thus entrusted himself to Clay, becoming his first Pokémon. That Drilbur is the same Excadrill that you will fight if you challenge the Driftveil Gym.

From then on out, Clay used the valuables he found to buy better tools, and support his family. With the aid of Drilbur, he dug deeper into Twist Mountain and struck the jackpot, and I mean _jackpot!_ For many, many years, no one even though to dig around Twist Mountain, because sedimentary tests indicated that there was nothing valuable, and it was seen as just a heap of rock and dirt. But Clay's determination made not only himself, but all of Driftveil City wealthy, with the huge intake of golddiggers and money-makers racing to make a fortune.

It was way back then that Clay proved he was a clever businessman, as he took the liberty to use up his reserves of money to buy the whole damn mountain, knowing that so long as no-one else could touch all that waiting wealth, he would be well and truly set up for luxury in the future. Hah, he sent all those hopeful people back home in misery!

And thus ten years later, after working manically to earn every degree he could, he returned to claim what was his, as all of Unova looked on with baited breath. Ever since, he's focused on spreading the wealth all across Unova.

**Personality: **His personality has barely changed since he was a kid. He is very serious and hard-working, and is a quick thinker is tricky situations. He always seems to know what's around the corner, and acts calmly even in the face of unprecedented danger. Sometimes it may look like he's not paying attention to you, but you can be assured that he has his eyes set on you the moment you enter his gym!

It's rare for him to smile, and even rarer for him to laugh. If you can manage either feat, then the people of Driftveil City will be talking about you for quite a while! In addition to his lack of humour, he also has a lack of interest in women. No one knows the reason behind this. Does he bat for the other team? Is he too focused on his work? Does he prefer the intimate company of Pokémon? Or does he simply not care? Kudos to you if you can answer that old question.

He is the sterling example of a no-nonsense man, he doesn't put up with any sort of funny business whatsoever. If he finds you acting up, don't be surprised if he hauls you in for the long run!

He can be rather critical, and often focuses on fixing people's mistakes rather than develop their strengths. He also always scolds people for small mistakes and insists that everyone has to try their very best. Due to this he comes off as a grumpy old man who does nothing but whine, but in reality he has a heart of gold, just like Twist Mountain!

Despite his harsh appearance he is very generous, and donates a lot of money to improving Unova; most especially Driftveil City. Just _look_ at all the fantastic hotels he built! And that massive Would Tournament Area!

**Battling: **Clay's battle strategy reflects his personality perfectly. He doesn't bother with much in the way of tactics, and uses overwhelming strength and speed to beat you down swiftly without beating around the bush. Please note that he is smart enough to incorporate clever tactics; it's just not his style of battling.

Due to this style of battling, a mere typing advantage may not be enough to save you. Water and Grass are the types you want to use, but you may want to use bulky and defensive Pokémon such as Jellicent and Ferrothorn, of which can endure most of the foes hits to wear them out. If their too tired to continue leaping up at you, then the battle will swiftly turn in your favour.

He's only had his Sandslash for a short while now, and they are still working on getting better. That, plus its single typing, makes it the weakest link. When he sends tha tPokemon out, use this opportunity to recover in preparation for his best Pokémon, Excadrill.

Yes, that Excadrill is the same Drilbur that met Clay the day his life was set. This Excadrill is an absolute beast and runs most Pokémon straight into the ground, so you _really _need to pay serious attention when it comes charging up to fight. Stun Spore is a good move to use against it, so make sure to use that window of time it gives you as best you can.

**With Pokémon: **Excadrill was Clay's first Pokémon, and has been with him for many years. Due to that they are as close as brothers, although some newspapers artists like to imply that they are more… intimate than that. But regardless of what he does with his Excadrill, he treats him with love and respect, like a comrade. He works all of his Pokémon hard, but they greatly appreciate the tough love and have all become tougher as a result. If you though Clay was scary, you should see his Pokémon if they hear you badmouth him!

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Roxie!**

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**A/N: Ah, did everyone have a nice Christmas? Did you get any awesome Pokémon presents? If you did, tell me! I got a few things, but my prized possession is a large Cobalion plushie that has never left my loving arms since I unwrapped him. It makes typing this a pain though…**

**But, I digress. I don't really care for Clay, but giving him a personality here was a lot of fun. His Excadrill was the only Pokémon besides Ghetsis's Hydreigon that made me faint.**

**Fun Facts: Like all Unova Gym Leaders, Clay's Japanese name is based on a plant. In this case, Yacón.**

**He is the first Gym Leader since Giovanni to specialise in Ground type Pokémon. **


	67. 059 Krookodile

**A/N: From now on, I will include the Japanese species name as well as the English one, so long as it is different. Using Krookodile as an example; English = Intimidation, Japanese = Menace.**

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**Number: **# 059

**Type: **Ground - Dark

**Species: **Intimidation - Menace

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Waruvial

**Description: **Krookodile is the undisputed ruler of the Unovan desert, and everyone knows to steer clear of this dangerous foe. Krookodile is the third member of the Dangerous Seven, but it is far less of a concern than the others.

What is the Dangerous Seven, you ask? The Dangerous Seven are the seven most dangerous and hazardous Pokémon in Unova, and cause the most concern for humanity. They are, in order of the Pokedex number, Seismitoad, Scolipede, Krookodile, Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Chandelure and Hydreigon. These Pokémon are considered the toughest Pokémon to control, and few even bother with capturing or training them. It's worth noting that most of them are Dark or Ghost types.

But as I said earlier, Krookodile is somewhat the odd member of the group. He is the only one who refrains from killing humans, and despite being a violent and mean Pokémon, his actions are miniscule in comparison to the atrocities that the others are content to commit. Granted both Seismitoad and Scolipede aren't as bad as the others either, but they are still a concern for travellers. Even so, people are considering removing Krookodile from the group, as it only partially fits in.

Aww, are you suddenly terrified of your new Krookodile? There's no need for concern, Krookodile should be alright in your care. Evolving it from a Krokorok, or better yet, a Sandile, would make it undyingly loyal to you. Even the cruellest heart will always be devoted to a loving trainer! They are much less pedantic than their wild counterparts too.

Krookodile live individually, and will fight off anyone weaker than them that they encounter. When crossing paths with another Krookodile, they will either battle savagely, or pass each other by. This is another trait they share with Seismitoad and Scolipede… Is it coincidental they share it, or did they learn from one another?

What is worth noting is Krookodile's amazing eyes. It has traded off its ability to see through heat, in exchange for long range high quality sight. The eye of a Krookodile is highly specialized and capable of refracting, contracting and expanding, to allow precise vision over a very long distance. This let's Krookodile see prey far away and thus make pre-emptive attacks or ambushes easy. This makes Krookodile a very dangerous predator, especially if working alongside a Krokorok. Modern day binoculars and telescopes were invented by dissecting a Krookodile's eye.

**Personality: **Hah, you thought your Krokorok was naughty? Wait until you see all the tricks Krookodile has in wait for you!

A troublesome Pokémon is a troublesome Pokémon, no matter how much it loves you. Trained Krookodile are mischievous pranksters that generally behave, but still have a natural desire to cause chaos and mischief, just so they can snigger in the background. Fortunately none of this will be directed towards you the trainer, but your other Pokémon may fall victim to the occasional trick. It is more mature than as a Krokorok, so now it knows the difference between a harmless prank and a dangerous disaster. They always act tough and loud, but they secretly fear for their trainer's safety. Overall, domestic Krookodile really aren't Dangerous Seven material.

Wild Krookodile on the other hand are very brutal, and aren't afraid to injure or kill those who mess around with them. Meeting one in the wild will result in a pretty rough battle, but directly attacking one unprovoked may earn you a bed in hospital. They seem to refrain from murder, so your life may not be too much of a concern. But don't be surprised if it devours all your defeated Pokémon before sauntering off into the sands again. It may be soft in comparison to the other Dangerous Seven, but it is a total brute beside normal Pokémon.

This all traces back to its dark type heritage, but there is a lot of arguing on the matter. Did Krookodile eventually become a Dark species through their mean actions, or does their Dark type nature compel them to act this way? Neither side has been proven correct, so for now this matter will remain a mystery.

**Lifespan: **Good grief, Krookodile's lifespan is doubled after evolving from a Krokorok! A well-cared Krookodile can live around 80 – 110 years, a lengthy period of time. Due to their frequent battles and rough lifestyle, they usually don't live that long.

**Diet: **It is completely carnivorous, and requires a decent amount of meat at each sitting. They prefer the hunt of a fresh kill, but won't turn up their snout at cooked meat. With that being said, they _will_ need to hunt frequently, so as inconvenient as it is you may need to take them out to the desert or forest every Saturday night for a feast. If Krookodile doesn't get its occasional kill, it will grow dissatisfied and throw a tantrum. One swish of its tail and cause big damages you know!

**How To Bond: **As is the usual story, by the time you've evolved your Pokémon into its final form, you would have already bonded with it on an intimate level. Even so, Krookodile hold their trainers in high regard while shunning everyone else, so you will have to repay that loyalty by spending lots of time together. Try and find out what Krookodile likes to do for fun (besides causing trouble) and do that activity every now and then. It will keep the two of you close, make Krookodile feel better about itself, and the best part is it will be distracted from causing trouble that it might otherwise instigate.

In terms of Wild Krookodile, bonding with one is extremely difficult and hazardous. This is another trait it shares with the other Dangerous Seven. Just like Scolipede and all the others, by the time it has reached its final form its bad attitude has simply become too ingrained to change, and as a result no amount of patience will get through to it. I think the only chances of making one actually like you is by risking your life to protect it or something like that.

**Battling: **Krookodile are tough battlers alright, they earned their reputation well. Due to their advanced eyesight they can see foes from far away and prepare to attack them before the enemy can react. This works especially well during sandstorms, when the enemy won't know what hit them until it's far too late. The only desert Pokémon that can combat this technique is Braviary and Mandibuzz, which both have eyesight equal to Krookodile's.

In competitive battling, Krookodile uses its own unique version of sweeping. Most sweepers quickly deal damage and then get out of the way, but Krookodile stays around to finish them off. A more accurate description of that would be a charger, as it charges in there and takes the foe down swiftly but savagely. This means fights are short and quickly decided, but means that Krookodile will frequently walk away with quite a few wounds. Overall, it's a tough and Powerful Pokémon, but requires plenty of medical attention to keep it running.

As previously stated Sandstorm can give you a great advantage in battle, simply because the enemy will have no idea where Krookodile is attacking from or how to react. If it is a Ground, Rock or Steel type it may be able to endure the weather, so be careful of their typing.

Earthquake is a destructive move that can knock the enemies right onto their hides, letting Krookodile leap right up and take them out before they can get back up. It's a heavy-hitting move anyway, so don't be surprised if the extra effort isn't needed!

Outrage is a mighty but risky move. Once Krookodile becomes enraged, it's not going to be able to stop its rampage for a while afterwards. This means that Krookodile won't stop until it has beaten the foe or been beaten itself. Normally this means that the battle has heavily fallen into your favour, but if the opponent resists Dragon type moves, or it has little effect, then Krookodile is just going to exhaust itself in vain and cost you the battle. Use this move wisely.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Krookodile are an anti-social and unfriendly species, and require lots of kindles in previous forms before they will even treat their trainers with respect. This is the last thing it has in common with the other Dangerous Seven. This means that it will bully or harass all your other Pokémon, specifically if they are weak or timid. Interestingly, it won't bully baby Pokémon and treats eggs with care, a single redeeming trait for this big bully. It will frequently get into fights with older, sterner Pokémon, leaving either one angry or injured. Tensions and hostilities arise during these scenarios, so it's important that you defuse the situation, usually by putting them back in their Pokeballs.

A good way to remedy this tension and perhaps even make them like each other is through forcing them to cooperate. Enter Krookodile and your other Pokémon into a really difficult double battle against a tough foe, and with an appealing goal. When forced to work together, they may recognise each other's strength and come to appreciate each other. Some friendships have to be forged by the temperament of battle!

**Warnings: **Fighting a wild Krookodile is risky, so unless you are confident in your abilities then you should steer clear of them. Six league badges should be enough to confirm you can take one on. On the other hand, when domesticated Krookodile won't directly try and hurt you, but it may accidentally injure you, through some elaborate prank, or simply because it wasn't watching where it was switching its tail.

**Summary: **Overall Krookodile is a Pokémon that require much care, patience and love, and will truly test your capacities as both a trainer and a kind person. Despite all these impediments, a trusty Krookodile is very powerful and can sweep many foes aside happily. It may have a spot in the Dangerous Seven, but it can still have a spot in your heart.

**Next Time… Number 060 Darumaka**

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**A/N: Sorry for not updating quickly enough! I wasn't looking forward to Krookodile, Darumaka or Darmanitan, so it was hard to motivate myself to get working on it. I'm looking forward to Maractus though, so that's the reward. Plus I have my other story to juggle with this one, so that makes updating this take longer too. If you're really impatient for the next chapter, you can read 'Legendary Origins' while you wait for it to upload.**

**I had to think hard about how to differentiate Krookodile from Krokorok, so while I was brainstorming the Dangerous Seven were born. I think that saved me for this chapter.**

**Oh, and thanks Wiechcheu1925 and Rastan for pointing out that geographical error last chapter, I fixed it right up.**

**Fun Facts: Krookodile may be based on a Baryonyx, a prehistoric dinosaur that resembled crocodiles. It may also be based on a criminal, jail mate or gang leader.**

**It's eyes also resemble the glasses of Ash's Squirtle when it was part of the Squirtle Squad. (Ahh… Childhood nostalgia…)**


	68. 060 Darumaka

**Number: **# 060

**Type: **Fire

**Species: **Zen Charm - Daruma

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Darumakka

**Description: **"A Darumaka's faeces are hot due to their high body temperature, so people used to carry the faeces around in their pockets to keep themselves warm."

I'll be honest; when I heard my teacher at University say that several years ago, I snorted water all of Juniper's face across the table. As insane as that sounds, people did indeed once carry Darumaka crap around like it was some deranged fashion statement.

Darumaka has always been a strange Pokémon that has fascinated many people across the world. It's not surprising though, their bright and silly appearance matched with their absurd traits and customs is enough to intrigue anybody. In terms of biology, Darumaka is part of the 'Combustion Family', i.e. the group of Pokémon that gain nutrition through burning foods within themselves. This makes Darumaka bear resemblance to Pignite, Simisear and Heatmor, to name just a few of its fellow Combustion members.

But unlike the other members who completely burn up the food, Darumaka only burns out the nutrients and excretes the charred remains, which closely resemble charcoal lumps. Like I said earlier, people used them as a quick and easy way to warm themselves up, until it was outlawed with the introduction of health standards.

Another unique trait of its biology is that the disproportionate weight of its body allows it to remain standing up while sleeping, even if someone were to tackle it. On that note, please don't try tackling sleeping Darumaka, you could hurt yourself.

When sleeping, resting or shielding themselves, Darumaka tuck their arms and legs into the folds of their fur. When they do this the centre of gravity within their body is shifted to their bottom, meaning that gravity will always pull them upright if that balance of weight is disturbed. This keeps them relatively safe while sleeping, as even if they were to fall off a cliff they would shuffle and slide to the bottom, rather than plummet or tumble down like other creatures.

Lots of toys have been designed after them and their little gravitational quirk, making their face recognisable to children across the world. They range from simple handheld ones, to giant inflatable ones designed to be punched for stress relief. I was thinking about buying one of the latter, with Juniper's face on it…

They usually live in the desert, where they spend their time running up and down the sands in groups of 30 or so, playing happily with each other and the neighbouring Sandile. Most of their life is spent in a careless manner until they are ready to evolve, but they know how to scare off invaders and predators with their fierce fire attacks!

**Personality: **The mind of a Darumaka is an abstract place, and in result their mannerisms are too. They act bizarrely and recklessly, as though they have no sense of self preservation. They do contradictory actions and things that simply don't make sense, confounding many a trainer. Regardless of that, they always seem to do well, as though everything was planned from the beginning. No one knows the truth behind this, but they are either running on luck, or are masterminds of fate.

Darumaka are incredibly hyperactive, and always race around precariously without looking where they are going. This can cause trouble for you if you let your Darumaka walk with you within a city. It's either going to get lost in the crowds, steal something, or cause some sort of commotion.

This is because they need to expend the energy raging within their body, being produced from their internal fire. While it is not too much of a concern, a Darumaka that is kept still for too long will overheat and go into shock, a life-threatening condition. The Darumaka do their best to avoid this, and will ensure you are aware if they have been kept still for too long. If the Darumaka insist on being let go, then it is advised that you comply.

On the other hand, if their internal flame begins to dwindle through sickness or starvation, then Darumaka will become lethargic and unable to move. This isn't as bad as suffering from shock, but it is important that medical attention is brought should Darumaka reach this stage.

They are an amiable species and excluding the occasional Mankey business, will act kindly and considerately. It's hard to make one mad, and even if you do it will calm down again after stomping around for a while. Their positive attitude makes them easy to care for, so long as you are willing to overlook the occasional horseplay.

**Lifespan: **Like all other members of the Combustion Family, their lifespan is shorter than comparable species. This can be pointed to the fact that a fire is a short lived chemical reaction, and requires effort to remain alight. Since their life depends on this flame, it is understandable that their life is equally short. About 10 – 25 years is a good estimate for any Darumaka.

**Diet: **Darumaka need a well-balanced diet, that isn't composed of too much of one material. Darumaka needs sugar and glucose to keep themselves energized, so a good portion of their diet should be berries and fruits. I heard that they really love the taste of Watmel and Liechi berries! But be advised that too many sugary sweets can make their internal fire too fierce, forcing them to run around or overheat.

To balance this, it will need foods containing salt or starch, such as rice, cornmeal, bread or pretzels. This will feed Darumaka well and help damper an overpowered flame, but once again too much will have an adverse effect on poor Darumaka.

Try buying a nutrition chart for Darumaka, and write down each food you are feeding it at the time. This will help you track ahead and make sure that its diet will remain balanced. It sounds like a lot of effort for one Pokémon, but this is a better alternative to a dead Darumaka!

**How To Bond: **Darumaka act so strange that no-one is entirely sure on how to bond with one quickly. Sometimes they happily leap into their trainers arms the moment they are caught, yet some take years to obey their trainer in the slightest. It's nothing more than a gamble on luck really, hoping that it will warm up to you in a short period of time. The only advice I have to share this time is to treat it nicely and politely, keep it well fed, and let it run and play several hours a day. When it has nothing to complain about, the chances of it 'bonding' with you are increased.

You can tell when Darumaka has bonded with you, as it will behave more appropriately, stay closer to your side, and show more affection in general. Some people get the indication that Darumaka can't be trusted due to their ambiguous and strange behaviour, but this is not true. While it does not appear to be true, Darumaka will always be there to pull you back up; much like it does to itself.

**Battling: **In the wild they only fight to defend their territory from those who have bad intentions. With that in mind, fighting competitively will be a foreign concept to them and may be something they disagree with. With a species such as this it depends on each individual, but some may be more than happy to fight, whereas others simply refuse to take part in unneeded violence. It will take a lot of convincing to persuade them to fight for you if they are initially unwilling to comply.

They usually fight from a distance, using Fire attacks to keep the foe at a distance. Incinerate is the first example of this tactic, as it will shoot out a simple blast of fire at anyone that gets in range. If the foe can evade that and get in closer, Darumaka can counter with either Fire Fang or Headbutt. Fire Fang can burn the foe, but Headbutt can make the foe flinch. Either move can debilitate the opponent, so think carefully about what you want to inflict.

Fire Punch is a strong close range attack if you do not favour distanced battle, but be careful as this move is easily countered. Flare Blitz is its strongest move and can seriously damage a foe, but it also damages Darumaka in retaliation. Don't use this move if Darumaka is already feeling weak, as the recoil might be enough to make it collapse.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Your other Pokémon might consider Darumaka a weirdo or a creep and be put off by its weird and unpredictable actions, and may even be enraged by the occasional prank it may pull, but Darumaka is a quality friend that protects its friends well. If you can convince your other Pokémon to look past its little quirks, they will find a valuable and entertaining friend. It goes well with young baby Pokémon, as its restless energy can ensure that it will keep them entertained.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Darumaka is an interesting and fanciful Pokémon; its compatibility depends entirely on how well you can relate to those traits. If you are a weirdo or free-spirited yourself, then Darumaka is a good Pokémon for you. If you're more serious and don't have the time to play games, then perhaps not. Regardless, Darumaka is a surprisingly helpful Pokémon, despite its strange ways.

**Next Time… Number 061 Darmanitan!**

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**A/N: I don't really like Darumaka, but this chapter was really fun to write. I was laughing the whole time I was typing away! I can't actually believe Game Freak mentioned people carrying around shit in their pockets. Why did they even mention that? It has nothing to do with Daruma dolls at all.**

**Fun Facts: Darumaka are based on Daruma Dolls and Okiagari-koboshi. Daruma dolls are a sort of good luck charm that represents perseverance and good luck. Normally when you buy one, its eyes are both blank. When setting a goal, you fill one eye in and place the Daruma where you work. You can only fill in the other eye once you have completed your goal, and thus seeing the one-eyed Daruma encourages you to work towards your goal. When you have completed your goal and filled in the second eye, you have given the Daruma doll the gift of sight, and it will grant you good luck in return. Of course it's all superstition and folklore, but it doesn't hurt to believe once in a while.**

**Tumbler-dolls (the toys that stand up when knoecked over) are called Okiagari-koboshi in Japan. It literally means 'Getting-up little priest', and represents perseverance and enduring that hardships that this world has to offer.**

**Darumaka's Fire type affinity may come from the fact that people burn all of the Daruma dolls at the end of the year, to signify moving on.**


	69. 061 Darmanitan

**Number: **# 061

**Type: **Fire - (Psychic)

**Species: **Blazing

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Hihidaruma

**Description: **Many people are terrified by Darmanitan's hulking and seemingly aggressive frame, but there is no need to fear this gentle ape.

At the main entrance to the Relic Castle stood five ancient Darmanitan statues, which had been patiently sitting there like sleeping guardians for the last 2,500 years. Recently one disappeared, awoken by some mysterious trainer holding a rage candy bar… Whoops, I'm rambling again.

As those archaic monolithic statues can testify, Darmanitan have been around for a very long time. In the first centuries of human existence, humans lived peacefully alongside Pokémon, as though they were the same species. But during the Iron Age, where Steel Pokémon taught humans the knowledge of steel and iron, massive human wars tore up the land, destroying everything in sight. At that time, the once closely bonded Pokémon fled in terror of the newly awakened humans and even hundreds of years later when the flames of war burnt out, the Pokémon still refused to trust a single human. This time was known as the Dark Ages.

But Darmanitan was one of the few Pokémon species to openly approach and befriend humans, despite of their previous sins. At that time they helped the humans rebuild their broken towns and brought humanity into the early Middle Ages. Despite Darmanitan's vital assistance in reviving humanity, they have received no real recognition as such, and have faded into obscurity among all the other species in the world.

Darmanitan still remains within the Combustion Family after evolution, and is one of the most powerful members thanks to the namesake blazing fire within itself. This fire has the power and intensity of an industrial furnace, enough to smelt ores or other tasks requiring intense heat. Swallowing some copper ore would kill Darmanitan of course, so please don't feed Darmanitan valuable ores for your own sake.

This intense fire powers Darmanitan's muscles much like the way a train engine is powered, the energy coursing through its veins compels it the remain active, and gives it the strength to heft incredibly heavy objects around as though they were nothing. They are very aware of their own strength however, and behave responsibility to prevent injury or disaster. This makes them a more sensible alternative to other beasts of burden such as Rhyhorn.

The last thing worth noting is that Darmanitan is one of three non-legendary Pokémon in Unova that has a form difference alongside Basculin and Deerling/Sawsbuck, its mysterious Zen mode. When sleeping, feeling ill, or in imminent danger Darmanitan can transform into its other form, making itself as adamant as rock. In this form Darmanitan is immobile, and must rely on Psychic attacks to defend and fight for itself. Since it is now immobile, it cannot move at all unless it has enough remaining strength to levitate itself and move away. That requires a huge amount of energy though, so in most cases it is better for Darmanitan to remain where it is.

**Personality: **Darmanitan are very active and blatantly speak what is on their mind. This makes some believe that they are a brutish and violent species, but in reality Darmanitan have hearts of gold. Even though they act loudly and competitively, they would never raise a fist against a good person. In fact they do quite the opposite; they have been known to shield lonely travellers from dangerous assailants, both human and Pokémon. Their Psychic connection ot their Zen mode allows them to pick up on the general intentions of people, letting them know if someone nearby is planning something bad.

As A Darumaka it acted very strangely indeed, and you would have been confused by its strange little actions that seemed to make no sense at all. Well, you can now rest assured that Darmanitan is a straightforward Pokémon with a sensible disposition. They are quite practical, and focus on getting important tasks such as gathering food before playing around or slacking off. They also insist that everyone must work together in team effort, often making entire teams of Pokémon work hard. This makes them surprisingly dependable and useful to have on a team.

Normally excitable Pokémon such as Darmanitan are angered easily, but this is not the case for this species. They too can become angered, just not as easily as most species. When angered it be very evident, as their large face readily expresses whatever Darmanitan is feeling. They will stomp around and huff moodily, but will bottle it up for the sake of convenience if need be. If they can, they will go somewhere quiet so they can angrily beat their fists onto the ground, letting them burn up all the anger. Not many Pokémon deal with their emotions in such a sensible way!

**Lifespan: **They can live for quite a long time indeed. Those statues at Relic Castle (which are actually Darmanitan sleeping in Zen mode) have been there for 2,500 years, and have shown no sign of age. While they can normally last for about 115 years normally, they may be able to live for thousands of years if they choose to remain in their Zen mode.

**Diet: **Like all members of the Combustion family, Darmanitan needs high energy foods to keep itself running. It no longer needs to fear running out of energy or overheating, so food selection isn't too much of a concern anymore. Any type of food will do well, but a big bowl of streaming soup or the occasional basket of berries wouldn't hurt. You can even take it up a step and feed it charcoal, which will keep it going for quite a long time. Understandably Darmanitan doesn't really like the taste of it, so perhaps you should save it for dire circumstances.

Overall, you need to focus on quantity rather than quality. Darmanitan needs to keep its stomach full, so you may find a sudden drop in money once your Darumaka evolves. Remember, it can earn back all that money and more by beating many trainers in battle, so toss it in there!

**How To Bond: **Darmanitan are a very trusting species, and have been throughout their existence. If you caught it directly from the wild, it would've probably been coming to investigate you out of curiosity. It might be a little confused or alarmed, but when it realises that you intend on being its friend it will cheer up and accept. If it is a female it may have little Darumaka babies it needs to care for, and in that case it will resist to its death. Its best that you release it again if that is the case.

After first catching it, greet it politely and introduce yourself, try and act as earnest as possible. If it can sense that you are acting with false modesty to befriend it, it may take offense and distrust you.

One quick way to please it is by showing it how you can give it the opportunity to battle frequently, and just hearing that will perk it up a lot. Being a cheerful Pokémon itself, it will warm up to anyone who acts the same way. They take a liking to children too, so if you're in your child or teen years, you can milk that for some more trust.

**Battle: **The fiery energy coursing through Darmanitans' body ensures that its attacks really pack a punch, or several. It's normal tactic of battling involves charging straight in and beating everything to a pulp with its fists while blasting the foe with fire, but while this is powerful, it is very hazardous. A perceptive or smart foe will easily plan ahead to evade all of Darmanitan's wild attacks and set it up for a major defeat. To prevent such a thing from happening, remind Darmanitan that battling is about strategy, not just brute force.

As expected of a pure Fire type, it has the usual three weaknesses of Ground, Rock and Water. Water is your biggest concern, as a strong blast of water can douse Darmanitan and make it too lethargic to battle. Upon evolving Darmanitan learns Hammer Arm, a mighty Fighting type move that really puts its strength to good use. with this move Darmanitan can send those pesky Rock types running in fear, somewhat negating one of your three weaknesses. Take note that Darmanitan will be temporarily tired from that move, leaving it open to retaliation if a foe still stands.

Overheat is another great move where Darmanitan releases all of the pent up fire within itself in one blast, incinerating everything within sight. While this move does do a huge amount of damage, Darmanitan isn't going to have much energy left to fight after using it. Use that move with gret caution unless you are sure it will win you the battle!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **As expected of such a good natured species, they are generally trusting of other Pokémon and do their best to make friends. If it senses that a particular Pokémon has bed intentions for the group, it will single that Pokémon out and try to bring them to justice, warning you in the process. It is for that reason that Darmanitan is weary of the stereotypically troublesome Ghost and Dark types. Earlier I heard that a Darmanitan caught a Litwick draining its trainer's life, so it picked it up and threw it over a mountain.

Darmanitan is another species that insists on teamwork, so it will keep your entire team motivated and moving about. Some lazier or defiant Pokémon may not take kindly to being told what to do, possibly resulting in a fight. To avoid this, you may want to tell Darmanitan to leave some particular Pokémon alone. On an unrelated note, I've heard that Darmanitan fighting Slaking is a pretty gripping thing to watch.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Darmanitan is a strong, healthy, kind and reliable Pokémon that does all the things a trainer would want a Pokémon to do. They are eager to battle and eager to serve, and in general are a really supportive and pleasant Pokémon to have around. They get along great with kids and are responsible too, so if you're a kid or have kids, then this is a suitable Pokémon to have. They do require a costly amount of food, and their constant desire to fight may wear you out quickly. If you are unwilling to frequently fight to earn money for food, you may have to make other arrangements.

**Next Time… Number 062 Maractus!**

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**A/N: **

**Lots of Darmanitan's description in this chapter came from the Darmanitan that took care of N when he was a child, before Ghetsis found him. On an unrelated note, Colress, Ghetsis and N will all have Celebrity Spotlights, but that will be at the very end, so it's a long way away for now. I look forward to it though!**


	70. 062 Maractus

**A/N: A****s Rastan pointed out, we have now gone over 111,111 words! That makes this the _largest _guide on the whole site, and the most detailed. And in terms of reviews and favourites it is the third most popular. Keep on reviewing guys, so we can make it to the top!**

******On that note, thanks again to everyone who keeps on reviewing. I would've given up months ago on this story if you guys didn't support me as much as you do!**

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**Number: **# 062

**Type: **Grass

**Species: **Cactus

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Maracacchi

**Description: **When traversing the sandy deserts of Unova, the most pleasant sound you could possibly hear is the rustling of maracas!

Many, many people set out to cross the Unovan deserts thinking that it will be a short and easy trip, and they are far from correct. In reality, the Unovan deserts are very expansive and you can easily get lost. On foot it normally takes three or four days to cross Route 4, the simplest and shortest path across the desert. In addition to that the extreme heat and lack of water, plus the constant battles against aggressive wild Pokémon will ensure anyone who has not brought a generous amount of food and water will quickly succumb to the harsh will of nature.

At that time, it is the Maractus who run to the rescue.

Despite their adorable and cuddly appearance, Maractus are a very enduring and tough Pokémon, able to withstand to most scorching heat, and survive for entire months without a single drop of rain from the sky. And in the rare even that it does rain, Maractus' amazingly absorbent skin sucks up any water that it touches, draining every bone dry again. Their body can contain an astounding amount of water, up to 257 litres (200 gallons) of water! As I said earlier, Maractus can survive off only a small amount of water, so with this capacity it can survive indefinitely until the next rainfall.

Maractus know well that humans and many species of Pokémon cannot survive anywhere near as well as it can, so it is very willing to share its water with anyone who needs it. Its skin is normally watertight, not allowing any precious water to escape at all. When its body is injured, it will cut off circulation to that area to prevent further water loss too. But when it needs to it can temporarily allow water to pass through. When it finds an exhausted traveller, it will walk up to them and place their lips on its skin, allowing them to drink as much water as they want. Be careful of where you put your mouth though, if you find Maractus blushing as you drink you might have chosen the wrong spot to drink from…

At least 36 human lives are saved on average by Maractus each year, the majority of those being tourists. Lots of people are very grateful for Maractus' help, and often end up convincing Maractus to joining their group of Pokémon.

Lots of people find them cute, but are put off by the spikes decorating Maractus' ears. Do you know those soft inflatable hammers you bop people on the head with? The spikes are as soft as those, so there is no need for concern. There is a cavity at the end of each of its arms, and within this cavity many seeds grow until they are ready to be released on the heated desert winds. This is where the jovial sound of music comes from when it moves its arms around. Strangely enough, these seeds serve no real purpose. Maractus has to breed sexually, and thus has the same reproductive organs as any other species. These seeds don't really serve a purpose besides other Pokémon eating them for food, but Maractus is very protective of these seeds and won't share them with anyone besides closely bonded trainer. Sharp spines also grow in here, but these are used for battle and serve no other purpose.

**Personality: **Maractus is a very friendly species and love to hop up and greet travellers moving across the sands with excitable enthusiasm. They care for the needs of others, and will offer their own copious amount of water to any person passing by, even if they are clearly fine. This may either be out of their strong desire to be servile, or perhaps even out of courtesy.

Due to their open attitude and ready friendliness, Maractus is considered the _easiest _Pokémon to catch. If fact, if you walk straight up and ask it if it want to join you, it will most likely happily agree. Most other Pokémon would either try and figure out what kind of person you were, or insist on battling, before allowing themselves to be caught. This is because a life of living alone in the desert, having only the occasional wanderer to talk to, is a lonely life indeed. When you came up to Maractus and offered it a spot on your team, you probably looked like an angel come to rescue it from its isolation.

They are very bright and enthusiastic, and always see the brighter side of every situation. When happy about something (which is nearly always) they will jump up and down squealing with joy, shaking their rattling arms all around, dancing and boogying away. They might sometimes grab your hands and dance around with you too, if you're the one who pleased them. Even though they try their best to remain unwaveringly cheerful, they will eventually become depressed if they are unable to cheer up someone who is sad. The sight of a miserable Maractus, its ears drooping dejectedly, is not a pleasant thing to see. For Maractus' sake, try smiling once in a while!

They think very highly of their trainers, and see them as some sort of role model, something to look up to. You should keep that in mind when Maractus is around, as if you act negatively you may shatter Maractus' heart. As expected of such an emotional and devoted Pokémon, they have a habit of falling in love with their trainers. This isn't really different form normal, besides Maractus acting more affectionate and loyally devoted to you. Despite being mostly a plant, they still have a bloodstream and can blush. Since the red clashes with their green skin, it is a really obvious indication. Even if you're disgusted by the idea, please be gentle on Maractus. If you're going to let it down, let it down as gently as you can. Otherwise Maractus will be cut to pieces and simply won't recover. That sounds rather strange, doesn't it? It's hard to imagine a cactus falling in love with you…

**Lifespan: **A hardy, enduring Pokémon such as this can last for up to 150 years without interruption in the wild. Since they breed slowly, the Maractus you met might be over forty years already. Once attached to a human, in this case you, they are devoted for life, and will fall apart once you have deceased. Even though it could live on for another hundred years or so, it simply won't have the enthusiasm to continue anymore. Isn't that a little sad? Sometimes I wish Pokémon were more content to carry on without humans instead of making themselves so dependent on us…

**Diet: **It's a plant. Knowing that, you should know that all it needs to survive is water and sunlight. Water is not even the slightest concern, and it will most likely never ask for water from you in its entire life! It does need a lot of sunlight however, so it is not advised to keep it indoors or in the shade for too long. If it runs low on photosynthesized energy, it will go rigid and stick out its arms to draw in as much light as possible. This is rare and has no significant effects if dealt with quickly, but you should endeavour to get it under sunlight as soon as possible.

It's worth noting that despite not requiring food, Maractus still has a mouth and larynx, for communication. The cries of a cheerful Maractus can be uplifting, but after a few hours of it you might consider taping the poor thing up.

**How To Bond: **This Pokémon should be renamed the loyal Pokémon, Cacnea fans are already complaining that Maractus stole from their favourite Pokémon anyway. But, I digress.

When Maractus first saw you, it would have seen you descend in all your wonder as your came to save it from its lonely existence, even if you collapsed in a dehydrated heap at its foot. Maractus is the kind of Pokémon that asks nothing of their trainer and is more than eager to serve you straight from day one. That being said, no more bonding process is actually required for Maractus to serve you. But it is still good to at least attempt to get to know Maractus better. After all, you're the only person Maractus is going to ever like in its life, wouldn't it be horrible if you were some selfish person who didn't actually care for it at all? In that case, it would be better that the two of you never met.

It likes to dance, jump and listen to upbeat music, so try putting on some funky beats and shaking your rear off alongside Maractus. Just doing that every now and then will make Maractus overwhelmed with happiness, and you will be able to tell for quite a while afterwards. Complementing Maractus is another way to make it feel good, so try to slip in the occasional comment on how lovely its dancing and music are. It will really appreciate your kind words!

**Battle: **Maractus is a passive Pokémon that prefers helping the sick and weak instead of fighting. The only time it will fight in the wild is If it is defending someone in need to help, of defending its own life against an assailant. In this case, it will shoot needles or seeds at them before hopping away in fear.

As a pure Grass type it has five weaknesses, but thankfully its years of living in the harsh sand have negated two of those. Its thick skin and resistance to heat give it some protection against Fire attacks, and in addition to that it can simply extinguish itself with the huge volumes of water in itself if set alight. It should also be vulnerable to flying types, but the many sharp spines and needles in its arms can scare off any aerial attackers before they can get in close. Maractus are real sharp shooters, you know!

Your biggest concern is Ice. It naturally has a weakness to it, and it is not suited for cold conditions at all. Furthermore, the water within itself can easily freeze it hit by Ice attacks, causing horrific and possibly lethal damage if not defrosted quickly. The moment an Ice type comes out onto the field, _get Maractus out of there!_

Generally Maractus uses its accurate long range shots to take foes down from a distance, and then switched to close range melee attacks one the foes moves in. it's really handy to have a Pokémon that can fight at both ranges, I might add. In addition to that, Maractus can use energy stealing attacks to recover itself if it finds itself struggling in battle.

Pin Missile and Needle Arm are its two standard long range attacks, and they do the job just fine. Needle Arm can also do a lot of damage at close range do, behaving just the way a shotgun blast does.

Absorb, Mega Drain and finally Giga Drain are the three recovering moves, and can are incredibly useful at equalling the odds in battles Maractus is finding tough. As it snatches the foe's energy away and take it for itself, the foe will suddenly find itself weaker, and up against a more powerful Maractus!

Sucker Punch is a very useful move, as it will give Maractus the opportunity to strike first should the enemy move in for a closer attack. One of these followed up by a Giga Drain or Needle Arm will make sure the foes won't be getting back up after being knocked down.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Maractus is well known in the Pokémon world as a kind and friendly Pokémon, so most Pokémon will be either happy or indifferent to seeing one join the team. On the other hand Maractus won't be concerned with what the other Pokémon think of it, so long as it has you! But even so it will work had to make friends with all of the other Pokémon. It's willingness to help will make most Pokémon appreciate its presence, but some may get annoyed at its constant joyful song and dance. Maractus can't really help the fact that its arms rattle, so you will just have to tell your other Pokémon to have some patience, or buy or earplugs.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Maractus is an astoundingly loving, loyal, easy, low-maintenance, joyful Pokémon that has countless bonuses and benefits, and almost no bad traits at all. It's perfect for any normal trainer and gets along well with everyone, and will always make sure you have enough water to survive. I don't think I'll ever recommend another Pokémon as much as this gift of nature! But please keep in mind that this Pokémon is devoted for life, and you will be that only person it can ever love or be loved by. After that, it will die without even thinking to meet another soul. It is _not _the kind of Pokémon you can simply capture and stuff away in a PC box days later. Treat this Pokémon with the love and respect it deserves!

**Next Time… Number 063 Dwebble!**

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**A/N: Maractus is the only plant I'll ever insist is adorable. It's eyes look a little vacant, but other than that its simply squeeable! It is certainly the kind of Pokémon I would have on my team if Pokémon were real. Although I don't think I could return its love quite so much, despite how cute it is, loving a cactus would be rather hard.**

**Did I change your opinion on Maractus? I think I accidentally turned it into the Audino of the desert, whoops.**

**The Next Pokémon I'm looking forward to is Sigilyph, it's a really quirky-looking critter!**

**Fun Facts: It is the only Grass type capable of learning Peck.**

**Two of its abilities are a reference to a cactuses' tolerance of water.**

**It is based on a cactus (no way!) most likely a prickly pear, and a maraca. It may be a pun on rabbit-ear cactus too.**


	71. 063 Dwebble

**Number: **# 063

**Type: **Bug - Rock

**Species: **Rock Inn – Stone Hermit

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Ishizumai

**Description: **Have you ever seen rocks moving about by themselves? The people of the medieval ages did, and they were terrified witless of these supposedly possessed rocks. Whenever people walked along the beaches where these rocks are sighted, they would carry smooth shiny pebbles, dropping one every few metres. By doing this, they thought the rocks would take their small offerings and leave the humans be.

In reality those moving rocks were actually Dwebble, shuffling around under the cover of their little stone houses. If those people had worked up the courage to actually pick one up, they would've seen it for themselves. They might have had their eyes sprayed with acid for their rude invasion of privacy, though.

Dwebble is one of the very few Unovan Pokémon that manipulates tools in order for survival. For Dwebble's case, this tool is the rock it has chosen as its home. Unlike most crustacean Pokémon, Dwebble's shell is not hard enough to protect it from attacks and thus is left vulnerable and defenceless. It is born this way, so its first task after hatching is to find a suitable rock to find as its home.

They start of as very small Pokémon, easily capable of fitting into the palm of your hand. Due to that, their first house only needs to be a large pebble or small stone. If it were to choose anything bigger, then the weight of the rock would be too much and weight it down, defeating the whole purpose of the shell in the first place. Once it has found a nice rock to make its home out of, it will spray the surface of it with a corrosive liquid produced from its mouth. While this corrosive softens the rock, Dwebble hollows out a hole within the stone, allowing it to move inside and finally have a better defence. Getting this right is a difficult task however, as Dwebble has to make enough space for it to fit and move comfortably around, but has to leave enough of the stone left so it is sturdy enough to protect Dwebble. They can readily repair their home by spraying more acid onto any cracks or damaged parts, and smooth the fracture together while the stone is still soft. In this fashion Dwebble can make its home last a whole lot longer than it normally would.

As it continues about with its life, it will gradually grow bigger and bigger, until it can no longer fit inside its home. When this happens Dwebble must throw aside its current home and go off in search of a larger and more suitable rock to live in. Since they generally all live in the same area, competition to find good rocks is very fierce amongst the Dwebble. They battle each other constantly to steal each other's house, and often large free-for-all wars break out, everyone looking to get the best rock without thought for anyone else. If a Dwebble already has a suitable house, it will go into hiding until the conflict dies down, to prevent itself from being attacked.

Dwebble are very common along all of the beaches of Unova, most prominently the southern ones. While they are found in all parts of the biome, they generally stay away from the shore, where their Water type predators live, in preference for the rocky crags at the very exterior of the beach, where they are safe. As a contradiction, many are found in rock pools that border the water. But here they can easily camouflage themselves amongst the rocky landscape, not having to worry about predators, or other thieving Dwebble.

Sometimes Dwebble find something more suitable to make their homes out of. Fourteen years ago a ship tragically exploded off the coast of Unova, and weeks later people had discovered that the Dwebble in the beaches had made homes out of the pieces of metal washing up on shore. Juniper conducted an experiment to see if those particular Dwebble has become part Steel type, but they had not. Hah, shame on her.

**Personality: **Dwebble's personality depends entirely on how secure it is within its home. In general they are a timid species that prefers flight over fight, and this is exacerbated if their shell does not provide enough defences for peace of mind. In this state they will flee from anything larger than them that approaches, and will retaliate in panic by spraying acid if touched. This is why you should never pick up wild Dwebble, kids!

But if the Dwebble has managed to obtain a very strong house, it may become overconfident and arrogant, picking fights with anyone who walks by. This is simply troublesome if you are just passing through, but it is actually quite helpful if you want to catch a Dwebble, as it means you are encountering only the strongest Dwebble around. But this comes at a cost, since it will be very arrogant and unwilling to comply, unlike the weaker Dwebble who will be more considerate.

Generally speaking, Dwebble are quite selfish and prioritize their own needs and wants before anyone else's. This stems from the fact they need to constantly compete to survive, so you can't really blame it. But after Dwebble has been with your team for a while, it may learn the importance of teamwork and start cooperating. Dwebble also live in isolation, and do not like being surrounded by many people. If that happens it will either hide in its house or run away in terror. This is because Dwebble sometimes team up in groups to take down the Dwebble with the strongest of shells.

If it has no shell at all, the poor thing will be a nervous wreck until it manages to find one. They don't last long in this state, due to either predators of the tax of stress and paranoia. It's not like rocks are rare or anything, so there's nothing stopping you from getting one for Dwebble.

They love to collect shiny or interesting pebbles, and spend quite a lot of their spare time running up and down the sands looking for some. This is because when it evolves into a Crustle, it can decorate (or 'pimp out' as the kids say') its large shell with these. A Crustle with many decorations is considered appealing for potential mates, plus it is used as a ranking system, where to most illustrious Crustle are respected the most.

**Lifespan: **The Dwebble form is simply a stage of preparation for becoming a Crustle, as it is in that form where it lives most of its life. With that being said most Dwebble either evolve or a killed before they can and very few Dwebble die naturally in their Dwebble form. On average a Dwebble will live for around six years without evolving.

**Diet: **Dwebble are scavengers that eat any food they come across. This means that meals can be far and few between and often unrewarding, but Dwebble is an enduring Pokémon that can make do with little food. They normally eat seeds, seaweed and other things that wash up onto shore, but will also eat fruit or berries if they are nearby. They will also eat corpses of Pokémon they find if they are starving enough.

With that in mind, feeding Dwebble isn't much of a challenge. They do need lots of minerals to keep their exoskeleton healthy though, so some good foods would be salty ones or anything containing high levels of calcium, magnesium etc. Dwebble will take care of itself is most cases anyway, a surprising amount of food scarps can be found in the wild!

**How To Bond: **Depending on the strength of its shell, bonding with Dwebble can be easy or difficult. If it has a weak shell, Dwebble is going to be very scared, and trying to approach it too quickly may encourage it to attack you. For your first encounter, let it out of its ball to be by itself for a while. Once it has recovered from the surprise of being caught, you can very gently and very slowly approach it. Try to be friendly yet soft, as to not intimidate Dwebble at all. Sometime after introducing yourself, Dwebble may come to trust you and be content to leave its beach behind and follow you on your adventure.

If you caught a well-equipped Dwebble, then it is not going to listen to what you have to say and act very disobedient indeed. This bad attitude doesn't really stick out amongst all the other species across Unova, but there are a lot more Pokémon who are happier to oblige. With a lot of patience and humility you can convince Dwebble you are worthy of its time and effort, but don't expect it to be an easy trip. If you wanted to you could purposely break its shell and thus break its confidence, but that would be very cruel and would make Dwebble very distrustful of you indeed.

**Battling: **As I said earlier Dwebble prefers to avoid battles and live peacefully by itself, unless it is fighting over a shell. As a result Dwebble is usually the one being attacked, which is why it focuses so much on bolstering its own defences. In normal battle conditions Dwebble hides within its shell and endures the enemies' attacks until the opportunity for retaliation arises. Since these opportunities may be rare, a battle involving a Dwebble may be long and arduous.

Larger Rock and Steel types can crush poor Dwebble's shell and squish Dwebble like the bug it is, and unless you teach Dwebble the TM Rock Smash it simply is not going to stand a chance, offensively or defensively. Water is your other concern, as a particularly strong current can pull Dwebble right out of its shell and leave it exposed, a sure fire defeat.

Withdraw is Dwebble's standard defensive move, and generally prevents Dwebble from being hurt. If its shell can be broken by the enemy, or the enemy uses attacks that bypass defences, then it really doesn't count for anything. If coming back out of its shell, it can use Sand Attack to throw the enemy off balance while it prepares itself for the next phase of battle.

Rock Polish can boost Dwebble's speed, making it both fast and resistant, which is a good combination. If you are aware of a battle before it happens, encourage Dwebble to use this move beforehand so it is extra prepared.

Stealth Rock is a great way to ruin teams that rely on switching Pokémon in or out, and can set you up for an easy win if used correctly. Entire teams can fall apart if this move interferes with their strategy!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **In the wild Dwebble's only encounters with other Pokémon will be hostile ones, so it is very mistrustful of other Pokémon. It will never trust any nautical Pokémon that live in the sea, such as Basculin, because they prey upon Dwebble in the wild. Likewise it will be unwilling to trust a fellow Dwebble, and the two of them will fight over each other's shells. Having two Dwebble on the same team is a very silly idea.

But once Dwebble has learnt to trust you, it will gradually open itself up to the rest of the world and start joining in on other people's lives, finding happiness in itself as it does. Do you understand? You are the key to unlocking Dwebble's sealed away heart and showing it this world, so I hope that you are a key that properly fits the lock!

**Warnings: **Don't pick Dwebble up suddenly or hold it too close to your face in your first days of knowing each other. Dwebble may squirt you with corrosive acid in panic and leave you with acid burns, which may scar for life.

**Summary: **Dwebble is a tough little critter that can be rather troublesome at first, but with the right amount of patience can become a fantastic Pokémon. It is a small and easily missed Pokémon in this world, but it is one that can make a reliable and loyal friend. I f you can make this Pokémon work, then make it work well!

**Next Time… Number 064 Crustle!**

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**A/N: I've been thinking… I've had a lot of fun with this guide, and I'm sure you have had lots too. I can go as far as I want with this guide, all the way to Genesect and beyond onto other regions, but I can never turn back. That's why I'm always a little sad once I've completed the chapter of a Pokémon I've been looking forward to. Granted I **_**can **_**go back and edit the chapter, but I can never relive the fun I had writing it. With that in mind, I can only look forward and steadily march onward!**

**Fun Facts: Dwebble has a unique set of breeding groups, of Bug and Mineral.**

**Dwebble is based on a hermit crab, and its name comes from 'dwell' and 'pebble'.**

_**Ishizumai **_**is a combination of **_**Ishi **_**(stone) and **_**sumai **_**(dwelling/house)**


	72. 064 Crustle

**Number: **# 064

**Type: **Bug - Rock

**Species: **Stone Home – Rock Hermit

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Iwapalace

**Description: **Hah, there's no way someone could mistake this Pokémon for a possessed rock!

Most Evolutions are quick and effortless, carried out in a matter of seconds. But Bug Pokémon sometimes go off on their own tangent, in some cases devoting an entire stage for preparation for their final evolutionary stage. The transition from Dwebble to Crustle isn't that drastic, but it is still requires more effort than normal Pokémon. As you can see from any Crustle, they carry a giant cuboid rock on their back. But this doesn't just magically appear on their back! No, no.

Truthfully Dwebble can evolve into Crustle whenever it wants to, but each one feels compelled to ensure they have a suitable shell they can obtain straight after evolving. So Dwebble spends a long amount of time quietly gathering stones and rock to make its shell out of when it evolves. Once it is pleased with the quantity and quality of these materials, it will evolve into Crustle. It wastes no time in celebrating its evolution, and begins composing its new shell immediately. First, it has to figure out how large and heavy a shell it can carry, and with that information decide which minerals and stones it can include within the design. It may take days for Crustle to perfect this shell, so for this period of time it hides away in recluse. Of course you could buy or gather all the required materials to incite evolution more quickly, but Crustle likes to take pride in its own accomplishments, and doing that would somewhat ruin that.

Just like its previous form Crustle are seen along the beaches, albeit less frequently. Instead, they prefer the salty confines of the Seaside Caves. But sometimes they can even be found in rockier terrains further inland, where they fit in well in the barren landscape. They are a lot more active and outgoing than they previously where, and scuttle about in the open without fear of being attacked. This is because their shell, which has been hardened and compacted, can protect them from any aerial attacks and defend them from most enemies. They hate rainy weather however, as the flow of water can cause erosion and damage their shell, something that is a great inconvenience to them.

Fights between Crustle are a very common sight as each one wants to be in control of the area, and to do that they have to be the strongest Crustle around. This means that Crustle will fight nearly every day, either to assert domination over everyone else or to defend that dominance from all the other Crustle clamouring to rule. In battles between Crustle, the loser is always the one who has their shell broken, regardless of how capable they are of battling. When this happens the loser scuttles away in defeat, and prepares to either rebuild his shell or make an entirely new one.

**Personality: **Crustle is a Pokémon that appreciates hard effort and believes that everyone needs to work their way to where they want to go, and thus it does not take kindly to those who laze about or slack off. It takes pride in its own efforts and likes to look back fondly on them, even if they aren't very pleasant memories. Hmm… If Crustle was a Ground type Pokémon I think Clay would want to marry one!

Wild ones are rather aggressive, and will come out to battle you should you walk nearby. This is only because they are defending their territory, not because they have any personal issues against humanity. If you evade battle it will chase you until you leave its domain, but you should choose to stay and fight, prepare for a savage battle. And even after defeating Crustle expect it to get _worse_; because every other Crustle will come out to take down this rude and violent invader to their territory. If you can beat them all, then from then on all those ones would behave, because you have become the undisputed ruler.

Your Crustle will be noticeably calmer, especially if you the traveling type of trainer. That's because the constant movement will ensure that Crustle really doesn't have a single place to defend, and the only thing it's concerned about defending is you! But if you live at home, then expect Crustle to become very protective of it from trespassers. Some friends visiting you might be surprised to see a Crustle come up and nip at their heels, so you might have to put up a 'Beware of Crustle' sign.

Other than that Crustle is a moderately friendly Pokémon that respects those who respect it in turn. Once it has found its rank in your team, it will happily stay in that place, but won't let anyone below it 'rank up', per say.

**Lifespan: **This species can live for an incredibly healthy time but that is no surprise, since they very rarely produce babies. It is unknown whether they live for a long time to endure they produce enough children; or whether they produce few children to prevent Crustle from overpopulating. Either way, Crustle can live up to around 300 years if they live healthily and rest far from battle. Most don't make it that far due to predators or being killed in battle though; 300 years contains many, many opportunities for a life to be taken, you know.

A Crustle located at Nuvema Town named Methuselah is rumoured to be 512 years of age. While this is a heavily disputed fact, if this rumour turns out to be true then Methuselah is the oldest Bug currently alive in Unova, if you exclude the supposed goddess Volcarona living in Relic Castle.

**Diet: **Crustle is still a scavenger, but it is more organized in its efforts. Instead of eating every little bit of food it finds, it will gather them in one location and begin to stockpile them, returning to eat whenever it gets hungry. If you go exploring the seaside saves and find a small pile of berries and seaweed, don't pick it up!

The reason Crustle scavengers for food is simply because there is little food available in the area. But for your Crustle, feeding it shouldn't be a concern. It will be happy to munch up all the Pokémon pellets, berries and Basculin you toss its way. But don't be surprised if you find Crustle sheepishly hiding berries from everyone else occasionally.

They prefer eating small, frequent meals rather than large ones, so it's better to have a packet of berries in your bag for ready distribution or something.

**How To Bond: **If you want a wild Crustle to quickly obey you, take a sledgehammer and smash its shell. That's cruel though, so if you actually want it to like you, then you're going to have to beat it in battle, capture it, then move far away from where you caught it. Since it will be far away from its territory, then there's no reason for it to battle you. It will temporarily respect you for beating it in battle, so there's your window of opportunity to convince it that you're the boss and that you're worth respecting. During this stage, you need to make sure that all your Pokémon obey you; because if Crustle sees just one rebellious Pokémon defy you, then it won't take you seriously.

For the time being try acting serious and earnest, working alongside your Pokémon in work and standing faithfully behind them in battle. Crustle likes those who work and play hard, so that is a really quick way to earn its favour. Plus it will reaffirm for your other Pokémon that you are a really good trainer. Try not to act lazy or disrespect your Pokémon, otherwise Crustle will see you as a bad trainer not worth following.

If you captured it as a Dwebble and assisted it in building its shell, then it will be very grateful for your help, and be willing to stand by you no matter how lazy you are. Sometimes simply being a good person can override the stigmatism that a Pokémon may hold against humans or a particular type of human.

**Battling: **Due to its territorial nature Crustle is quite eager to battle, and will take pleasure in battling for you once you have earned its trust. Battling is another good way to bond, as not only will it bring you together, it will make Crustle feel more accomplished too. Just like it's previous form, Crustle relies on a great amount of defence its shell provides before it can ready a counterattack with its sharp pincers. It can even use the weight of its shell as a blunt weapon.

While still vulnerable to Rock and Steel, Crustle can still somewhat endure and retaliate appropriately, especially if taught the Fighting TM Rock Smash. Water types are the ones you really have to watch out for, as their water can still erode Crustle's shell away and leave it open to attack. It's worth noting that Crustle will fight fantastically alongside a Pokémon that has the ability Storm Drain, Maractus being an example. This will not only prevent Crustle from being hurt by Water attacks, but will also nurture the Maractus as well.

X-Scissor is one of the strongest Bug type moves in the world, outdone only by Bug Buzz and Megahorn. This great move fits well for a Pokémon that fights in close range, especially given that Crustle already has decent attack. Please take note that while executing this move Crustle has to cross its pincers in an X shape and while doing that a Pokémon could easily grip its pincers and leave Crustle helpless to the foe. You might want to wait until the enemy is thrown off balance or stunned before taking the risk of using this move.

Shell Smash is definitely the most risky move you have in your arsenal, and depending on how you use it, it can ensure you glorious victory or humiliating defeat. Basically, in this move Crustle shatters its entire shell, releasing itself from its heavy burden and allowing it to move much faster and strike more brutally. But as expected it leaves Crustle defenceless to retaliation, meaning it can be taken down in one careful hit. Using this move is a huge gamble, so only use it when you're feeling that the odds are in your favour. I don't recommend using this move until you've become knowledgeable in the complicated art of battle. Oh, and this move also means Crustle cannot battle until another shell is rebuilt, so it's a really costly move too.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Crustle will respect any Pokémon on the team before it joined, but due to its competitive and territorial nature it will subject any newly caught Pokémon to intense scrutiny, and it if disapproves of this new addition it will scare it off, which can be quite a nuisance if that particular Pokémon was rare or arduous to obtain. To stop this, you need to remind Crustle that you are the highest authority, and since you chose them to be part of the team Crustle has no right to stigmatize them. It might grumble a bit, but it will submit.

Since it doesn't like lazy people, it will get angry at any team member that doesn't pull their own weight. This means that Crustle is doomed to bicker with certain species of Pokémon who are naturally lazy. Keep this in mind when putting a team together, and think carefully about how everyone is going to interact.

On the other hand Crustle will quickly become friends with hardworking Pokémon such as Conkeldurr and Darmanitan, and quality friendships like these can be forged in steel. It's worth noting that stronger Pokémon such as this fight better with a Pokémon such as Crustle supporting them.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Crustle is a moderately easy Pokémon to care for, with a partially stubborn but earnest attitude, and will not fail you under any circumstances. If you prefer dependable and reliable Pokémon over cutesy or whimsical ones, then Crustle is a good Pokémon to have on your team. If you're more of a laid-back trainer, then perhaps not.

**Next Time… Number 065 Scraggy!**

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**A/N: Did you all hear about the big news coming up? I'm really curious to hear what it's about, so I'll wait for the Nintendo direct to come on so I can see it first-hand. But due to where I live, I have to wait an extra 12 hours… Anyway, I might leave my own personal remarks in my profile for anyone who misses out on the stream.**

**Scraggy and Scrafty are cool Pokémon, but I really want to get them out of the way and work on Sigilyph, Yamask and Cofagrigus. I like weird, quirky Pokémon, and Sigilyph is a sterling example of all that. For Yamask and Cofagrigus I already have well detailed and interesting ideas and history set aside for them, so they're going to turn out really great! **

**Fun Facts: Crustle represents July (Cancer) in the Unova horoscope.**

**Crustle may be based on crust, castle or mantle, or even possibly crustacean.**

_**Iwapalace **_**is a combination of **_**Iwa (rock) **_**and palace, so literally 'Rockpalace'.**


	73. 065 Scraggy

**Number: **# 065

**Type: **Dark - Fighting

**Species: **Shedding - Molting

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Zuruggu

**Description: **All Fighting type Pokémon follow an unspoken code, which has existed and been devoutly followed since ancient times. You respect your foe. You show humility when defeated. You help a fallen foe up onto their feet. You never cheat. You never deceive. You never fight in unfair numbers. These are all rules that most Fighting type Pokémon will obey to their dying day, barring a few exceptions.

But Scraggy and Scrafty are the only Fighting species known that intentionally deviate from this sacred code, and thus have become the stigmatized enemy of all other Fighting type Pokémon. Even Toxicroak, which sometimes breaks the rules, looks down in semi-disgust. While Scrafty has no excuse for its violations, Scraggy is understandable in the fact that it has simply not developed old enough to understand that what it is doing is bad, and the negative repercussions its actions has on other people. Furthermore, it's actions are more naughty and devious than truly cruel like Scrafty. So with that in mind, punishing a Scraggy for doing something bad would be as unjustified as punishing a toddler for playing with electrical wires. It simply doesn't know better, and it's actually _your _responsibility to ensure it doesn't take that path.

Scraggy and Scrafty are the only Pokémon with the typing of Dark and Fighting, and this stems directly from their disownment of the Fighting oath. Originally it was just the Scrafty who were Dark types, but after they taught their young Scraggy their heretical behaviours, the effect soon spread. I'll delve deeper into that in Scrafty's chapter, though.

Scraggy's most prominent physical feature is the huge sag of skin constantly falling around its ankles. No, Scraggy is not trying to moon you, that skin is simply used as a defence. This shaggy skin contains massive amounts of keratin, collagen and elastin, making it thick and durable enough to shield from attacks, but elastic enough to be able to be properly used. While this skin does provide a great defence, it only goes up to Scraggy's neck, making its head a favourable target to hit. Furthermore, the saggy nature of this skin can make Scraggy somewhat clumsy, always tripping over itself. In other words, Scraggy can make fantastic use of its tough skin, but it can also confound already bad situations if not used properly. Malnutrition or various diseases can cause this skin to weaken or even possibly tear, a big concern for Scraggy since it relies on it so heavily. It's worth noting that ancient tribes used to use stitch Scraggy skins onto wooden frames to create large portable shields with which they could siege towns. But after these tribes were beaten by civilised society, such an abusive practise was outlawed and soon forgotten about. I believe Lenora still has one of those shields hidden away in the Nacrene Museum.

Scraggy also has an astoundingly thick skull, capable of enduring the heaviest trauma. This skull is thick enough to fully protect a Scraggy from harm, even if were to be hit by a truck. That, plus the tough skin that protects the rest of their body, makes them a very durable Pokémon that can be irritatingly tough to take down.

**Personality: **Scraggy are arrogant and foolhardy, always confident that they are the best and no-one can take them down. In addition to that, they are very aggressive and will snarl and threaten anyone who walks past. If someone treads close enough, they will slam their head into theirs without warning, causing a great deal of pain and even possibly knocking them out. This behaviour is extremely troublesome and chaotic, and if not monitored you could find yourself being charged for unlawful battling or assault, since you can be held accountable for your Pokémon's actions.

All wild Scraggy act this way because that is simply how they are taught by their Scrafty parents, not because they are bad Pokémon. When they are raised in such violent and cruel circumstances, you can't blame them for acting the only way they know how to. Scrafty are targeted by other Fighting types and other neighbouring Pokémon for their misdeeds, so the Scraggy have to learn to fight brutally when their parents have fallen.

Scraggy that have been hatched and raised in human care remain overconfident and impudent, but lack the mean streak that has been seared into the psych of their wild counterparts. Obtaining a Scraggy egg is very rare however, so the wild variety are really the only ones available to you.

Despite being such a hot-headed Pokémon Scraggy often overlooks or forgets about past arguments or conflicts. In other words, it's the kind of Pokémon that focuses on the present and doesn't care about what happened in the past, or what will happen in the future. This means it isn't going to brood if you've gotten mad at it in the past, but ensures that Scraggy wouldn't have learnt a lesson from it.

**Lifespan: **A scraggy can live up to 30 years without evolving, which isn't half-bad for an unevolved Pokémon. Scraggy evolves into Scrafty through the experience of many tough battles, and in such a tough environment it may not last long enough or be strong enough. This may sound harsh, but it's actually a good thing. Imagine the troubles we would have if savage Scrafty gangs were scattered all around Unova!

**Diet: **Some rumours have spread that Scraggy eat meat, but this is not true. In reality they are content with berries, most notably dry ones such as Chesto and Wiki. Any type of dry food is actually appropriate, nuts being one good example. Scraggy like to carry their own food around in their saggy skin and eat it as they please, so it's best if you just set aside some food for Scraggy to maintain on its own. They do show good ration conservation skills, after all.

**How To Bond: **Unless you hatched Scraggy from an egg, it's going to be a marathon to keep it under control or befriend it at all. It may stick around to hear you out, but even then it probably won't take your words to heart. If you make yourself sound appealing to Scraggy, it will patiently put you onto a 'trial mode' where it will assess whether you're worth it's time. If you fail to convince it, it will head-butt you and anyone else nearby before marching off in the direction it thinks is home. Getting it back is going to be even tougher then convincing it the first time!

Now, Scraggy form gangs in the wild, either led by their Scrafty parents, or by an older Scraggy should they have to leave their family. Leadership is heavily contested among all members, but usually stays within the grip of the strongest one around. All Scraggy may squabble from time to time, but will fight unified should a common foe appear. Your Scraggy will initially behave this way too, disobeying you slightly, but fighting for you without question when the time comes. It is this form of disorderly brotherhood that compels some select people to like Scraggy so much.

There's no way Scraggy is going to like you immediately. In order to convince it otherwise, you need to show yourself as a leader that is reliable, strong, yet reigns with a free hand. Scraggy is not going to happy in its position of submission if it thinks that it can do a better job of leading than you can. For that reason, you can't allow yourself to be seen as vulnerable or incompetent. Even if it exhausts you, try your best to act strongly!

You can't act too tough on Scraggy though; otherwise it will feel oppressed and retaliate. A head-butt from a disgruntled Scraggy will have you out cold instantly! In other words, it's up to you to find that thin niche where Scraggy feels both secure yet free. In these circumstances, it will eventually come to like you and leave that disobedience behind.

**Battling: **Despite the bad connotations of being the Dark type that it is, these typing combination is incredibly useful. The three resistances and one immunity is rather swell, but what is really great is having only two weaknesses to deal with. What makes it better is that Fighting and Flying type moves are rather rare, so you will never have to worry about being swamped by Pokémon with advantages.

Given the fact that most Psychic types in Unova can't learn a single move to counter an immune Pokémon such as Scraggy, it's likely that they will flee upon sighting it immediately. The only ones you have to watch out for are Swoobat and Sigilyph, mostly the latter. Both can counter with Flying type moves and to make matters worse, Sigilyph can use Mircale Eye. This move will make Psychic moves _super-effective_ against Scraggy, making things very troublesome indeed.

Scraggy has irritatingly tough defences, plus it also has that savage head-butt to scare off anyone who comes close. At a cost, it doesn't have any long range moves and can sometimes be impeded by its own skin. This is another reason why Flying types are such a concern; they can simply hover out of range and bombard Scraggy with moves it can't defend from. Electric types would make good allies for Scraggy to fight alongside.

Low Kick is a good move for taking down larger Pokémon, most notably the Rock, Steel and Ice types, due to them usually having large forms. Faint Kick is a rather mean move to use, but it can deal serious damage due to the foe not expecting such a savage attack and letting their guard down. It's a legal move, so you needn't be concerned about the morality of it.

Headbutt is Scraggy's most frequently used move, to the point where it may use it without even realising it! The only Pokémon that can use this move on the same level of skill as Scraggy would be Bagon, but in Unova Scraggy is certainly the king-of-slamming-its-head-against-stuff.

Brick Break is good for taking down all those annoying shields Psychic types have a habit of erecting. Scraggy makes a good candidate for this role as the offending Psychic simply can't damage it in retaliation. Hi Jump Kick is a risky move to use, as it can deal a great amount of damage, but if Scraggy misses… things will turn poor quickly. It's better that you save this move for slower foes, and finish up with a Low Kick.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **I must remind you that most Fighting Pokémon have an issue with Scraggy, sometimes for a misguided reason. That being said, putting Scraggy on a team with other Fighting types is only going to cause trouble and not get you anywhere, even if your Scraggy isn't bad like the wild ones. Additionally, some fellow desert residents such as Darumaka and Darmanitan may have their own issues, but it really depends on each Pokémon in question.

On the other hand Scraggy itself is going to be rather undiplomatic and anti-social, picking fights and intimidating others. Soft or young Pokémon such as Audino and Sewaddle are only going to be pushed around unless you or a stronger Pokémon is always nearby to interfere. Scraggy will probably be home amongst other rough Pokémon such as Liepard and Krokorok who won't let Scraggy push them around. Be advised that they may team up and make matters even worse!

Overall, it's hard to find a spot for Scraggy in most Pokémon teams, and it's almost certain that the first period of time will be tedious and quarrelsome. If both you and your Pokémon are prepared to weather Scraggy's initial trouble, it may eventually come to like them, or even regard them as family. At that time, things will take a much happier shift in tone.

**Warnings: **Don't kneel down to look Scraggy in the eye, especially if it's pissed off. All you'll see isScraggy pulling back its head, and then darkness.

**Summary: **Scraggy is a rather difficult Pokémon in all aspects, ranging from capture, feeding, bonding and relating to other Pokémon. It's a tough Pokémon hat can do well for you in battle, but the negatives normally outweigh the positives. If you have a generous amount of patience and good diplomacy skills you might be able to turn Scraggy away from the path of darkness, but you're going to have to work really hard to accomplish that. Don't say I didn't warn you!

**Next Time… Number 066 Scrafty!**

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**A/N: So, I'm assuming you've all read or heard about the new Generation 6 games? This isn't the place to discuss them, so you can PM me if you really want to talk about it. Instead, I want to mention the impact this is going to have on the Guides. **

**My original intention was to move onto a new region upon completing this one, and let you guys vote for which region you wanted the most. But with this new region appearing, I really want to start on that one next. But whether or not I start on the new region or continue as I originally planned depends on numerous factors.**

**Firstly, I can't start the new region if I don't have enough information. At the rate I'm currently progressing, I'll probably wrap this guide up by about late March or early April, in three months' time. Pokémon X and Y will be publicly released worldwide five months later in October. Gamefreak normally gives us tidbits of information frequently to keep us excited. This is the first time I'm actually paying attention to a game **_**before**_** it's been released, so I have no idea how much and how detailed the information is going to be. I doubt that a sufficient amount of information will be released by the time I have finished this guide, however.**

**As an alternative, I could let you vote for the next region as originally planned, and work on that until the release of Pokémon X and Y. At that time, I could start the guide on that one and balance both in terms of progress. But once again that depends on which region you want me to do. Johto or Sinnoh has the least amount of Pokémon and I could nearly finish one of those regions by the time Gen 6 comes out. Kanto or Hoenn is going to take longer and may well drag on much later. I personally want to do Johto the most, but I feel like giving my readers the decision lets you guys get involved.**

**On a last note, Chespin is now my favourite Starter ever (move outta the way, Oshawott!) with Fennekin close behind. And Xerneas is now my second favourite legendary (outta the way, Shaymin!), seconded only by Cobalion. A lot of people say the new designs are horrible, but I've already disregarded those people as idiots, it's evident they don't want to accept that the new designs are more clever and advanced that the older ones~**

**It's not that I'm trying to start a fight or anything, it just pisses me off when people complain about new Pokemon when Gamefreak works so hard to entertain everyone.**


	74. 066 Scrafty

**Number: **# 066

**Type: **Dark - Fighting

**Species: **Hoodlum – Scoundrel

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Zuruzukin

**Description: **Behold the face of villainy, of darkness, of chaos! Bow down before Unova's natural crimelord, or suffer a skull-shattering headbutt!

Despite not making it into the Dangerous Seven, Scrafty is certainly a very infamous Pokémon capable of causing great trouble. No other Unovan Pokémon has such an unbecoming history like Scrafty, and none of them would want it either. The stigmatism and discrimination that surrounds this species has forced them to retreat far into the deepest ravines and caves, out of sight from both humans and Pokémon. But Scrafty aren't an oppressed gaggle of menial thieves, no, no. In fact, they are considered the most notorious thieves and bandits; skilled, savage and swift. Hundreds of trainers have gone for peaceful explorations of caves only to be brutally and soundly beaten by the Scrafty watching from the darkness.

Scrafty usually live in gangs of 20 – 40 members, working together seamlessly to survive in this tough world. This gang is led by the Scrafty with the largest crest, regardless of its leadership skills. This can spell trouble for the group if the current leader dies to be replaced by a clueless scamp who has no idea how to lead. Because of this, some members may try to assassinate any Scrafty that may become a bad leader if the current one's health is waning. During this time the entire gang is placed under pressure.

When you hear about a Pokémon gang, you would normally dismiss it as a bunch of crooks that aren't worth concern. This is totally not true for Scrafty, these guys are _organised_! They resemble a mafia more than a gang, the leader sits on this seat (most likely stolen) within his largest cave and watches as his subordinates scurry around to complete tasks beneficial to the group. The lower ranks are divided further into classes, such as sentries, gatherers, soldiers and the like. Whenever a trespasser invades their territory, the sentries alert the soldiers and both groups goes down the attack the unfortunate victim. While they aren't murderers, the Scrafty will beat you bruised and senseless before taking absolutely everything you have and leaving you for dead. The leader only comes out to confront invaders if they are notably tough, or famous. It will do its best to steal the fame for taking such a noteworthy foe down, and gloat about it for months into the future. Sometimes small groups sneak off into other areas to rob and pillage. They stay well away from large cities or even moderate towns, but aren't too far attack small villages or camps, running off with great amounts of loot as a result.

Contrary to popular belief, Scrafty were not always the bad Pokémon they are today. They were once just like every other Fighting Pokémon; full of eagerness to battle yet fair in their execution. But after the great human war thousands of years ago, (stopped by three certain Fighting type legendaries no less) the Scrafty were left depleted of resources and were left in dire circumstances. In order to survive, they had no choice but to throw aside the hallowed rules they once followed and attack helpless people and Pokémon. At that time few knew of Scrafty's true intentions, and thus marked them as an evil Pokémon. As that stigma grew more widespread, the Scrafty could only respond by acting even crueller in kind. As time passes, the Scrafty forgot about how they were once good Pokémon and accepted the darkness happily. At that time, the common beliefs against Scrafty became set in stone.

**Personality: **It's as rough as it sounds. The only person Scrafty respects is the leader is its gang, and the only people it gets along with (perhaps with some strain) is its fellow members. Anyone else that approaches is going to ether get head-butted away, or receive a brutal kick to the stomach. Scrafty doesn't play nice with strangers. Or associates. Or anyone else in particular. If someone is of no use to Scrafty, then they are an enemy and must be treated as such.

From this description, you probably have a vivid image of Scrafty being some hyper brute running around everywhere looking for trouble. In reality, Scrafty is very laid back and carefree, following the flow calmly and taking things gently. If you were to observe a Scrafty by itself, it would seem like a normal Pokémon completely. The only time it acts the way it is notoriously known for is when it encounters someone who is not a friend. And even then it will probably smack them unconscious before carrying on as though nothing happened. Scrafty doesn't break the Fighting oath to be bad; it breaks the fighting oath because it just doesn't care.

This 'I'll do what I want at my own pace, no matter what anyone says' attitude makes this devious Pokémon very popular amongst human teenagers, as they share the same rebellious attitude. Unfortunately a few of them idolise Scrafty as though it is some sort of revolutionary hero or inspiration, and seek it out for whatever reason they want to. This nearly always results in them being beaten savagely by a whole gang of Scrafty, crushing their hopes and ideals.

Granted a Scrafty that is has been kept secure with a human since its birth will retain its carefree nature, yet it won't have the violent and anti-social aspects it's wild brethren has. If fact, it could be a rather pleasant Pokémon overall. Regardless of this, people and Pokémon will still treat that Scrafty as though it were as bad as the wild ones, and to make things worse even the wild Scrafty will disown that particular Scrafty, seeing it as 'corrupted' by the human care. A wild Scrafty's mind cannot be changed, nor can its heart be swayed.

**Lifespan: **Part of the criteria for a Scraggy to evolve into a Scrafty is partaking in many tough battles, some life-threatening. This means that most Scraggy stand a chance of being killed before they have become tough enough to evolve. That's probably why Scrafty live for up to 70 years of age, so they can ensure that they have made enough children to ensure some will make the tough journey. Unfortunately Scrafty is the kind of Pokémon that isn't interested in romance, so it's a wonder their species is still around… do they have a trick up their baggy sleeves?

**Diet: **Scrafty gather and stockpile foods, forming a large community supply of food that everyone can eat from. This food can vary greatly, but is usually composed of generic berries, nuts, and even meat, indicating that Scrafty are omnivores. But many other foodstuffs have been found in these piles, including chocolate, tinned beans, and champagne. It seems that they aren't very fussy at all. Depending on their rank in the gang, they may get less food than their superiors; and due to this some lower rank members such as sentries often set aside their own amount of food they can eat, should the communal amount diminish.

Because of that, your Scrafty won't be concerned with whatever you have to feed it, so long as it isn't obvious that you're cutting corners by feeding it the lower quality stuff. Instead, it will be focused on the accessibility and amount of food instead. In other words, Scrafty wants easy access to the food, and that there is enough to go around. This can be troublesome at first, since you can't trust Scrafty with the food at all. It's a no win situation really.

**How To Bond: **When trying to talk appealingly to Scraggy, there was a chance that it would headbutt you and leave. With Scrafty, it _will_ headbutt you and leave. That means talking to Scrafty is not the way to befriend it just yet, given that just catching Scrafty is asking for trouble…

Instead, you need to beat the absolute stuffing out of it and not allow it the slightest bit of resilience. That may sound horrendous, but this is how things are in the wild. A leader Scrafty can't allow any members to go rogue and thus will crush any sort of hostile attitude for the sake of the whole gang. As the leader of your gang, you need to do the same thing. Once Scrafty has been thoroughly beaten into submission, that's when you can attempt to actually make friends with Scrafty. Be advised that you may never make it to this stage if you don't have any Pokémon strong enough to overwhelm Scrafty.

Once it's been put into its place, it won't think about disobeying you for quite a while. That's your window of opportunity to convince Scrafty that you're a good leader. They prefer leaders that are mean and vicious, and will think you're a sissy if you act kindly. Despite that, it will obey regardless if you have successfully asserted yourself, and if it sees the rewards kindness bears then it may experience a change in heart.

For the most part it may stick to itself, but stay in range of the group. It understands that it has to work alongside the others to survive, so it won't run away. Scrafty are a disliked species across Unova, so if it were to wander off it would certainly encounter a heap of trouble.

If you continue to treat it with respect and act successfully, Scrafty may even come to admire you. Actually befriending a Scrafty is difficult, so you may have to remain satisfied with just this. It's up to you to figure out how to befriend Scrafty, so go ahead and experiment!

On the other hand, a Scrafty evolved from a captured Scraggy will be far more sociable, and will already see you as the responsible leader you are, if that statement is true. It may experience a boost in defiance following evolution, but the changes will be surprisingly underwhelming. Trust is hard to earn with he Scraggy and Scrafty families, but once it's earned it stays solid.

**Battling: **Scrafty still has its thick skull and tough skin, maintaining its sturdy defences. On top of that Scrafty is no longer held back by its saggy skin, allowing it to run faster and deliver powerful punches and kicks. It's the kind of Pokémon that you can toss out there that will tear everything apart, and then sit on the side-line as though nothing happened.

Having only two weaknesses is a blessing, but Fighting types are going to come at you with a vengeance. Scrafty may have to beat it if you come up against an expert Mienshao or the like.

Façade is a relatively strong move on its own, but the strength of it is doubled if Scrafty is suffering from a status effect. This is great for countering Pokémon that rely on debilitation like Poison or Dark types. In other words, it makes sure that the enemy receives a reprisal for hurting you first.

Focus Punch is where things get awesome, its capable of destroying many things and wreaking absolute havoc; but is set back by the fact that Scrafty must charge its energy beforehand, leaving it open to an attack. This also gives the foe an opportunity to recover, so stunning the foe and then attempting to use it may not work.

Head Smash is just as strong as Focus Punch and lacks the extra time required to execute it. Unfortunately Scrafty receives some damage in turn, even with its thick skull. Scrafty can normally tolerate the pain, but if it's already worn out the effects may prove to be too much.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **A criminal does not fit in well with normal people, and likewise Scrafty does not fit in well with normal Pokémon. It's not going to like them, and chances are they're going to be wary of it. I don't need to tell you that having Scrafty on the same team as another Fighting type is just going to cause a blood-bath.

Hopefully Scrafty will behave enough to refrain from instigating fights, which would keep the peace for the most part. Some more understanding species such as Audino and Leavanny will understand Scrafty enough, and it might appreciate the patience. Hot-headed or competitive species are definitely a no-no, they'll just jump to conclusions and act upon the stigma held against Scrafty. Other anti-social species like Seismitoad and Scolipede will understand Scrafty, but having that many dubious Pokémon on one team…

Alternately, a Scrafty evolved from a trained Scraggy will have developed better social skills and be more open to interacting with others. It won't change your other Pokemon's first impressions, but over time they will begin to notice them difference between your Scrafty and the ones seen in the wild.

**Warnings: **Pissing Scrafty off isn't advised, unless you really like hospitals. This Pokémon needs mutual respect at the very least to behave properly.

**Summary: **Scrafty is a highly troublesome and chaotic Pokémon usually used by criminals and defiant teenagers. If you're hoping to have a peaceful and friendly Pokémon journey, then Scrafty is certainly not applicable. It is however quite tough, so if you can ignore or endure all of the stress having a Scrafty is going to cause, then buck up and prepare yourself for the long haul! Despite the beliefs held by everyone, Scrafty included, they can be redeemed and become pleasant. Are you capable of bringing out that elusive side?

**Next Time… Number 067 Sigilyph!**

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**A/N: For the record, I have nothing against Scrafty. In fact, he's a pretty cool Pokémon. **

**After writing this chapter and Scraggy's, a plot bunny has been hopping around in my mind all day. Since it features the three Gen 6 starters it'll have to wait, plus I already have enough stories to work on. I'll upload the next Legendary Origins chapter soon, but I need to make a couple of changes that Xerneas and Yveltal are inevitably going to require… **

**Sigilyph, Yamask and Cofagrigus are all going to be fun; I've had some great ideas set aside for the latter since I began this guide, so it will be good to see them come to fruition.**

**Fun Facts: Scraggy and Scrafty have a unique typing. This also makes them the only Fighting types immune to Psychic attacks. Scrafty also has the highest defence of all Dark types.**

**It's based on a lizard, but may also be based on the youth found in American culture, which makes this another Pokémon based on American culture alongside others like Braviary.**


	75. 067 Sigilyph

**Number: ** # 067

**Type: **Psychic - Flying

**Species: **Avianoid – Pseudo-Bird

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Symboler

**Description: **Sigilyph, the patron hero of hippies and psychedelic drug users everywhere.

But seriously, this colourful pseudo-bird has captivated the hearts of many people, most notably the artists of Nacrene City. But they aren't the only people this Pokémon has fascinated; Sigilyph has an ancient and mysterious history that remains documented on tattered papyrus scrolls buried within the Relic Castle. Their origin remains even more ambiguous, lost to the sands of time. Archaeologists, professors, tourists and novel authors have all visited Relic Castle or caught one of these creatures to probe its mysteries, to little avail. Unless Silph Co. develops this Pokémon-translating device they've been promising for years, then Sigilyph and all its secrets will remain so.

Sigilyph are only seen around Relic Castle, Desert Resort and Route 4, and continuously move along the same path, down to the very same centimetre. Each one has its own path, which it always moves across, and even though there are no marks or tracks at all, they instinctively know where to go. The paths of each Sigilyph infrequently cross, and when this happens they will simply exchange telepathic remarks before carrying on their way. Videos taken from satellites have allowed us to draw up maps of these paths, revealing them to be sets of interlacing circles, set out perfectly so not a square inch of the Desert Resort is left unpatrolled. The only time Sigilyph moves away from its designated course is to mate one every three years, or to confront invaders. And by invaders, I mean you and anyone else who sets foot into the sandy lands of Desert Resort or Route 4.

You see, underneath Desert Resort lies a huge city, buried by the sands as time passed. A huge castle (now known as the Relic Castle) lay upon a hill at the edge of the city. We have never seen this city for itself, but satellite scans have given us a basic layout. This city is old, _really old._ How old, do you ask? We don't know exactly, but we know this place was well-established before the Sacred Swordsmen, Landorus, Thunderus, Tornadus, Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem were even born. In fact, excluding the Tirtouga and Archen families, Sigilyph may be the oldest Pokémon native to Unova!

Through events unknown, the people of this city mysteriously died. No evidence remains of their demise, it is as though they all vanished instantly without a trace. Actually, that's a lie. We found out how they died twenty years ago, but I'll explain in Yamask's chapter.

Anyway, the Sigilyph zealously protected this city by constantly flying their specified routes above, always prepared to defend it from anyone who wished to attack or invade this city. Why Sigilyph protected this city is unknown and why they had such a good relationship with the occupants is unknown. Perhaps they lived there before the people came, and made a treaty with them. Or perhaps the people brought Sigilyph with them from a foreign land. Some even speculate that the people brought Sigilyph into existence, either by unknown biological methods or even summoning them from another world!

Even though they flap their 'wings' as they move about, they are actually holding themselves up using psychic powers. The wings actually serve no valid purpose at all, but speculation persists that these hold some secret meaning. If it is idle these wings, alongside all the other appendages hanging off it, will twitch and jingle occasionally.

Many people are surprised when they are told that Sigilyph actually have three eyes. That's right; those two dots on its body have been watching you this whole time! Despite resembling eyes, many people do not know what they are, due to their weird location and the fact that they do not blink. All three of Sigilyph's eyes remain permanently open, even when it is asleep or dead. That seems freaky, but is understandable. Its role as a guardian means that it needs to remain alert and prepared for battle, even when it is not. Keeping its eyes open like that will trick potential attackers into thinking that it is still awake, and thus discourage them.

**Personality: **It's a mysterious Pokémon with a mysterious history. Or course it's going to have a mysterious personality!

No one can fully understand what ticks within their minds, especially considering that they are powerful Psychics. The way they act so clairvoyantly and with adamant purpose resembles the Xatu of Johto. They do so many strange things and act aloof, giving the impression that they are not paying attention to their surroundings, but that is not true at all. Sigilyph are _always_ paying attention, even when asleep they take in information and can review that information when waking up; much like how a security guard can watch security footage after coming back from a break. A lot of people are unsettled by Sigilyph's never ceasing gaze.

Sigilyph is a Pokémon that focuses strongly on tradition and routine. Sigilyph deviate from their paths every three years to mate, the process is swift and emotionless, and only a single baby is produced. Due to this slow rate of breeding, the Sigilyph population remains at an even amount. But since people have begun catching them, their numbers have slowly declined due to the lack of breeding partners. I doubt people will catch every Sigilyph in Unova, but at this rate they will one day become scarce.

Even at birth the baby Sigilyph knows that its sole purpose it to guard, so wherever it is, it will fly away to the Desert Resort. Even now it already knows where its flight path is laid out, and will follow it without a hitch. Due to the purpose of their existence, Sigilyph are very protective of their territory. This combined will the cleverly laid out patrol paths means that you will likely encounter at least several Sigilyph when crossing Route 4.

Overall, Sigilyph is an extremely ambiguous Pokémon that even the most educated men in the world know little about. You will simply have to put up with its strange ways, as it won't cause you any trouble at all. On a last note, Sigilyph _do _have feelings just like any other Pokémon, but they simply don't make that as obvious as most species would.

**Lifespan: **I don't know. _I don't know!_ Some Sigilyph live for a hundred years, some live for many hundreds, and some have been proven to have been around thousands of years ago. The age at which each individual dies vary so immensely that we can't determine an average. It doesn't really matter how long your Sigilyph is going to live for, because it will certainly outlive you without a doubt.

**Diet: **They don't eat either. It's not surprising, since they don't have a mouth or any other visible orifice. It seems as though they don't require any sort of nutrition at all, but perhaps they feed off of something we can't see…

At any rate, you don't need to feed Sigilyph at all. That makes things a whole lot easier as adding another Pokémon onto your team normally means adding another mouth, but in this case that does not apply.

**How To Bond: **As stated many times Sigilyph has an overwhelming desire to guard the city it protects, so if you let it out of its ball within that vicinity then your attempt at catching it is for naught. What a waste of an Ultra Ball!

To prevent that from happening, you need to move far away from the desert region as you can, meaning Sigilyph may have to stay within its ball for a day or two. When you let it out, Sigilyph will wonder what just happened, but will soon realised that it has 'made a contract' with a human (you) and thus will hover about, waiting for your command. It may look like it's not paying attention or even outright ignoring you, but it is listening and watching intently, regardless of how it seems.

Sigilyph sees its only point of existence is to protect the humans it serves, and it will happily do that for you without complaint. It's not even going to ask for anything else in return, so long as its purpose can be fulfilled protecting you. You can spend time with if it if you wish, and the effort will be appreciated, but it's not actually required.

That doesn't mean that you can abuse Sigilyph however, it is realises that you are manipulating it for selfish again without regard to its own wellbeing, it will blast you with psychic power before flying off to once again patrol the land it once did.

**Battling: **The combination of Psychic and Flying gives Sigilyph some crippling weaknesses, and Pokémon of all five of those types are present throughout Unova, meaning Sigilyph will occasionally have some severe trouble with typing disadvantages.

Sigilyph's tactics revolve around weakening the foe or inflicting status effects, but can also bolster or support you own team. It does have decent Special Attack and can inflict some healthy damage, but for the most part it specialises it status warfare.

Miracle Eye is a very useful move, as it will remove any Dark foes immunity to Psychic attacks. That doesn't prevent them from dealing super effective damage though, so be wary. Sigilyph also learns Hypnosis though, allowing you to not only remove their immunity but render them incapable of defending themselves. A good combo if I say so myself.

Tailwind is a really great attack that ensures that you always strike first. Any trainer can tell you that striking first can often be the difference between victory and defeat. If things get too tough, you can use Whirlwind to send them flying away! This will get rid of wild Pokémon for good, but in a battle against another trainer it will simply switch in another one of their Pokémon. That's still really useful though.

Light Screen and reflect can be used to build strong defences against all kinds of enemy attacks, allowing you to somewhat negate the power of super effective attack. Mirror Move grants Sigilyph the ability to counter the foe with whatever attack they just used. If they just used something like Hyper Beam… they're going to regret it!

Psychic and Sky Attack are the two strongest attacks of each of Sigilyph's types, respectively. Psychic is a well-known attack that is feared by Fighting and Poison types everywhere and it certainly lives up to its expectation. Sky Attack requires some extra time to charge, but it is the _strongest _Flying attack known in our world. When Sigilyph has had enough, it can use this move to blast anything out of its way.

In addition to that, it can learn a huge variety of moves through the usage of TMs. Electric, Grass, Ice, Ghost, heck even Steel type moves can be learnt! This makes Sigilyph a highly adaptable Pokémon that can work around obstacles.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **So long as they don't intend to harm you or the group, then Sigilyph will have no problem with your other Pokémon. For most of its time it will hover above, watching the entire group with its never ceasing gaze. Should someone instigate trouble, Sigilyph will fly down to confront them. Due to this it often gets along well with other protective Pokémon like starters. But note that some of your Pokémon may feel uncomfortable being constantly watched by Sigilyph, and may even grow paranoid. I've heard of some tales about Pokémon going crazy and scrawling images of Sigilyph eyes all over the walls, but things like that are rare, so you needn't worry.

Sigilyph gets along very poorly with the Sandile, Scraggy and Cofagrigus families, and will never cooperate with any of those species. This is because both Sandile and Scrafty evolve into antagonists that trouble the Sigilyph. Yamask and Cofagrigus… I'll explain in the next chapter.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Sigilyph is powerful, useful, easy to catch, low maintenance, helpful and overall a really fantastic Pokémon. It can support and protect you anywhere, and will faithfully uphold that desire to protect you until its day of death, or to be more accurate, yours. There isn't a reason for not getting one of these amazing creatures, so feel free to run out and catch one!

**Next Time… Number 068 Yamask!**

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**A/N: I like quirky, interesting and mysterious Pokémon, so it's understandable that I like Sigilyph. I wanted to keep some of that vague mystery surrounding Sigilyph, so I purposely omitted some information. That way, you guys are left with something to speculate about. Yamask's chapter is going to be really great as well, since I have something in store for it. Plus it's a really popular Pokémon!**

**On another note, 100 reviews! Thank you so much! When I first came to this site, 100 reviews looks like a colossal amount. But after sticking around for a while, I've come to realise that it's not that many, is it? There are hundreds of stories on this site with many hundreds of reviews, so it's not like having 100 makes me stand out at all… But regardless I'm really happy that I've got this many, I achieved something! And being grateful for what you have is really important, so I should even be worrying myself. But once again thanks to everyone who has written review, every single one is one step further!**


	76. 068 Yamask

**Number: **# 068

**Type: **Ghost

**Species: **Spirit

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Desumasu

**Description: **_"Let not your mind think vile thoughts, for destruction shall be wrought. Let not your heart pump with livid fury, for death shall become your final jury. Let not your voice utter a single dark word, lest your judgement be incurred. The Ancient Ones bestowed these rules, to prevent mankind's untimely destruction. Follow them with your heart, mind and soul, lest the Ancient Ones bring their wrath upon us and grind our bodies into dust, and curse our souls to remain bound to this world." –_ Translation of hieroglyphs found in Relic Castle.

Unfortunately for the people of that long-gone civilization, they failed to follow these rules, and the result was something atrocious. Remember when I mentioned how these people vanished many years ago in Sigilyph's chapter? No matter how high they build their walls, and no matter how many Sigilyph they commanded to patrol the skies, those people could not protect themselves from themselves.

The people of that city were once a proud and advanced race, being those who invented such things as bronze. But wealth and knowledge are corrupting forces, and even these people one day fell to their alluring call. We don't know who these 'Ancient Ones' are, but they must be extremely powerful, given that they were strong enough to eradicate an entire civilization. These people existed before any of the Unova legendaries had been born, so it must have been a foreign force. Some say that it was Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf that caused this, but they are far too kind and benevolent to even think about hurting a single human. Some say it was Arceus himself who wrought punishment, but he was fast asleep just like the majority of humanities' existence. Some crackpot on the radio the other day insisted it was Lord Xerneas, but once again he hadn't been born yet either.

Whoever it was, they were a jerkass god indeed. In a period of one day, every citizen of that town fell down dead, their bodies turned to dust and faded away on the breeze, leaving only their possessions and Pokémon behind. Back in this age marriages between humans and Pokémon was commonplace, so the abandoned Pokémon husbands and wives took their own lives as was normal back then. The other Pokémon broke down the city walls and wandered off into the wilderness, while the Sigilyph sadly watched above. In memory of their fallen masters, they remained to protect the remains of their city.

But those humans didn't stay down for long… Soon they arose from the place they had fallen dead, able to traverse across the land once more. And thus, the Yamask species was born. Their tortured souls had been forced to wander the land, and even death itself eluded them. You see, most Ghost Pokémon aren't true ghosts. They are real living beings and mortal just like any other Pokémon; yet possess many abilities associated with ghosts such as moving through walls, possession, and such. But excluding Spiritomb, Yamask is the only 'real' ghost Pokémon, in the fact that it is a deceased spirit. Other Ghost Pokémon can be killed like other Pokémon, but Yamask is practically immortal. The only way a Yamask can die is by becoming so depressed or self-hateful that it refuses to acknowledges its own existence. Because it has denied itself, there is nothing binding it to this world. Modern Yamask can be created too, but that will be explained later on.

A large amount of the original Yamask population have faded away, but a steady amount still haunt Relic Castle, the last remaining building of their city. This place is very precious to them, so they will attack anyone who sets foot into their home with extreme prejudice. The mask they carry around is a copy of their own face, and in that respect no Yamask mask is the same. This mask is the only evidence that they were once human.

**Personality: **The curse of living as a Yamask often takes a heavy toll on their mentality and sanity, so in general they are emotionally brittle creatures. The shock and misery of being forced into such a position of half-existence makes Yamask very depressive and full of self-loathing. They spend a large amount of their time sitting in dark corners of rooms, gazing longingly at their masks. When they look upon the mask that bears their own face, the memories of being human are dredged up and overwhelm them, making them cry pitifully in their own misery. Once they have gotten back in control, they spend the next amount of time burying or concealing their grief, usually wandering the halls of Relic Castle while doing so. They will encounter other Yamask which have had a breakdown, but they cannot afford to comfort them should their own turmoil of emotions rise up again. The entire un-life of a Yamask is spent grieving, recovering from grieving and evading grieving; it's a vicious cycle that continues on and on.

Yamask is normally a very tender Pokémon that only attacks humans to protect its home or out of envy of their life, but should its mask be stolen, it will have a _complete and utter mental breakdown and go psychotically berserk. _I purposefully put that in italics, because when in this state Yamask is more than happy to tear you apart so it can reclaim its m ask from your disembowelled corpse. I beg, I _beg_ that you _do not mess _with this Pokémon! It's attachment to the mask is very understandable; as it is the only piece of evidence that it was once a human. If this mask is lost, then there is nothing to prove it was ever once a human. With no evidence, Yamask will soon begin to question whether it really was once human, or whether it was all just an illusion. While weathering that mind rape, Yamask's sanity will swiftly crumble away, leaving only in incoherent, raving, madness-devoured monstrosity left. Once it has passed this point, it can never be redeemed nor tamed.

But should Yamask be caught by a human, the joy and happiness you can share with all your Pokémon will begin to affect Yamask and cheer it up, giving it a meaning to its otherwise bleak un-life. Do you understand? You are the only one who can save Yamask from its misery and isolation; you are its only redeemer. Can you carry such a weight on your human shoulders?

**Lifespan: **Yamask can live for all eternity if it wishes. But the majority of them desire death anyway; but it cannot die at all unless it denies its own existences, thus erasing itself. But to do that, it has to hate itself enough to completely convince itself that it does not exist, a task that is not easy. It gains a lifespan when it evolves into Cofagrigus, but there is a price to pay for that…

**Diet: **Being a simple spirit that lacks no physical form, it needs no source of nutrition. However, it may pretend it's a human or even genuinely forget that it isn't one and try to eat food, but the food will simply fall through its body and roll away. This reminder will greatly pain Yamask.

**How To Bond: **When you encountered Yamask, you would have either met it wandering the halls of Relic Castle, or crying in the corner of some ruinous room. In the first case, it will promptly attack you, but in the second case it may simply cower and hide itself in shame. Either way, you obviously have to fight and catch it to progress any further.

Yamask is going to be very scared and nervous, so you need to act as soft and gentle as you possibly can, assuring it that it is in a safe place and doesn't need to be afraid. It will gently come out to investigate, but will flinch at the loud noise or sudden movement. That is why you'll want to keep any clumsy or noisy Pokémon away for the time being.

Try and keep it occupied by talking to it nicely, but try not to overwhelm it with questions. The social interaction will be considered strange, but very welcome. It will be extremely grateful for your kindness, as you're probably the first person to speak to it within at least several hundred years. It will always remember that, even if you were to release it immediately.

As it grows more and more accustom to interaction and your kindness, it will open itself up and begin to express its emotions. Lots of trainers remark that when they first caught Yamask, it always held an elated smile on its face. Now, that was because it was simply overjoyed to have someone appreciate it. If your Yamask has that kind of look on its face, then you're raising it right!

I must add as a final note, if you treating Yamask nicely, it will never evolve into a Cofagrigus, which is something you should be grateful for. Why, do you ask? Wait until the next chapter…

**Battling: **As an actual ghost, Yamask relies entirely on Status and Special attacks, since it has no physical body to perform physical attacks with. Even so, it can still take damage from special attacks, most particularly those of Dark types and fellow Ghost types. But Yamask isn't the kind of Pokémon to let itself get pushed around once roused, and it can put its immunity to Normal and Fighting attacks to fearsome use. After all, there's nothing scarier than a foe you can't actually hurt!

Disable is a good way to open battles, as it means that the foe is now incapable of using one of their moves. Given the fact that it is always a random move disabled, it could be a wasted effort. But on the other hand it could disable the move the entire team relies on, taking apart their whole strategy.

Is your enemy constantly boosting its own speed or defences? Haze can undo all of that effort, and given that quite a few Pokémon rely on bolstering themselves like that, it can already be all over.

Will-O-Wisp and Hex o hand in hand, a fearsome combo. Will-O-Wisp always inflicts a serious and painful burn that debilitates the foe greatly, leaving them vulnerable and weakened. The power of Hex is intensified when the enemy is already weakened by such a status effect, so that combination can easily take down even a well prepared foe.

Curse is a move where Yamask uses the power of its own curse against the foe. It damages itself, but part of its curse rubs off onto the foe and not matter what they will slowly suffer until they collapse in agony. If you fear that Yamask will faint regardless of what you do, this move can ensure that the foe will fall as well.

Shadow Ball is Yamask's strongest attack, as is a well-known Ghost type move too. Not only does it deal considerable damage, but it can lower the foes defences too, making them even more vulnerable to the next attack.

If you're out to catch other Pokémon, Mean Look is a blessing from Arceus himself. This move prevents enemies from fleeing, which is great for dealing with pesky and evasive Pokémon such as Abra and the like. Seriously, this move will mean no more tedious games of chase or hide and seek, it's wonderful.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It will mostly stay away from them at first, and most likely be afraid too. That can't be helped, as it has spent a very long time hiding away from others and will not have very good social skills at all. But once you have warmly welcomed it into your little community, it will gradually start to interact with the other Pokémon. This process can be sped up greatly if the other Pokémon are nice to it beforehand, so you should encourage them to do so.

Some Pokémon may sense that Yamask is actually a human in Pokémon form and be spooked out by that, and this is frequent amongst Psychic types. You'll have to remind them that Yamask is just like every other Pokémon, and should be treated as such. Psychic types tend to be very understanding creatures, so that message should get across to them.

Overall, Yamask shouldn't cause any trouble on its own and slowly get along with everyone else, but may become distraught if bullied by others. You'll have to keep a sharp eye out to make sure nothing like that is happening.

**Warnings: (!) **Do _not_ take Yamask's mask away _unless_ it has purposefully handed it to you. Taking that mask away without permission will trigger Yamask to go psychic and lethal, and it will kill you and everyone else until it can remain its only treasure. To make matters worse, it will forever hate itself for killing you, especially if you had been nice.

**Summary: **Yamask is a pitiable Pokémon with a tragic history, doomed to suffer for countless years until it either destroys itself, evolves, or is found by a nice trainer. Are you that nice trainer? Despite being a scardy cat, it makes for a very good Pokémon that required no food and is very durable, making it very helpful indeed. It will do your heart good too, knowing that you've helped such a poor Pokémon.

I… I don't want to spoil your happiness, but I'll leave you with these words: "There is no future for Yamask, there is no hope for Yamask. There is only an eternity of suffering and grief, and nothing can ever change that."

When I repeat these words in the next chapter, you will understand what I mean.

**Next Time… Number 069 Cofagrigus!**

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**A/N: Aww, poor Yamask. I feel so sorry for the little chap, cursed to such a horrible fate. By the way, if you thought this chapter was grim, wait until you see Cofagrigus'. To reference tvtropes, it contains the following tropes: 'Black and Grey morality', 'Complete Monster', 'Face Heel Turn', 'Despair Event Horizon' and about another billion tropes I could never list. Meh, maybe if another troper comes along they can read it and compile them all.**

**Speaking of which, I think it would be absolutely fantastic if this guide earned its own page on tvtropes. That takes a huge amount of publicity and skill though… and what would be the chances of another troper coming along? Oh well, they **_**are **_**everywhere…**

**Fun Facts: Yamask is the first Pokémon to have been a human at some stage. It is also the first ever Pokémon to be a **_**literal **_**ghost. (Spiritomb are spirits that were sealed away while still within a physical body, and thus they did not die. You can't become a ghost without dying first! If a spirit is removed from the body without dying, the it remains a spirit.)**

**Yamask and Cofagrigus are the only pure Ghost Unova Pokémon.**

**Yamask is based on a Egyptian Ba holding its death mask.**

**On an informal note, Yamask and its evolution are a lot more grim than previous Pokémon. A lot of Gen I Pokémon were pretty creepy, but that was filtered out by Gen II…**


	77. 069 Cofagrigus

**Number: **# 069

**Type: **Ghost

**Species: **Coffin

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Desukarn

**Description: **Cofagrigus is an elite member of the Dangerous Seven, and it is by far the most fearsome. Seismitoad and Scolipede may tear you apart, Hydreigon may grind your bones into dust, and Jellicent may drag you into the grimy depths, but _none_ of that can compare to the horrible fate Cofagrigus has in store for you, should you encounter one.

You don't see trainers pulling Cofagrigus around. They are never to be seen anywhere near human civilisation. And only a select handful of people have ever managed to properly own one, without meeting grisly consequences. Extreme countermeasures are required to keep just one of these monsters under control, and even then you must pass strict tests and have an official licence to carry highly deadly Pokémon. Even Shauntal, one of the Elite Four and one of the greatest trainers alive, admits that she has trouble with her Cofagrigus and it has come close to taking her life. Who knows why she would even bother keeping it…

Last chapter I advised you that taking good care of a Yamask would make it never evolve in your care, correct? That is because Yamask evolves in a wholly unique way, unlike any other species found in this world.

Yamask is the spirit of a human being, albeit in the form of a Pokémon. Its loss of humanity and physical body makes the Yamask a very depressive and miserable Pokémon, wrought with suffering. When the Yamask (once a human) becomes so extremely hateful, bitter and vengeful, it is driven insane by its own plight _and loses its last trace of humanity, twisting the once human soul into something horrifically demonic, become completely inhuman. _Thus, that Yamask has now become a Cofagrigus. Yamask are still completely human, but through evolving into a Cofagrigus every last piece of their humanity ebbs away, leaving only the hatred and jealousy left behind. In other words, Cofagrigus is pure evil. Literally. For such a sullied and twisted entity, there is no redemption. To keep itself together, it must take on a physical form, often the shape of an elaborate coffin.

That is only the beginning. I also told you that modern Yamask exist too, didn't I? Well guess whose fault that is. Cofagrigus envy humans with all their form, for we are what they want to become once again. Out of spite Cofagrigus devour humans, by grabbing them with their claws of darkness and dragging their screaming victim into their own body. The human body is then broken down and dissolved, turning into dust and sand which will soon be released by Cofagrigus to cover Relic Castle.

But it gets worse. Your body isn't the only thing Cofagrigus corrupted; not even your soul can escape its hateful wrath! That's right; Cofagrigus has just turned you into a Yamask too. You will now carry around your own face and cry softly throughout Relic Castle, and one day you too will become so overwhelmed with suffer that you too will mutate into a hateful Cofagrigus, and start devouring other humans to express your never-ending hate. And thus the cycle continues.

Due to this, it's been said that the Cofagrigus have the means and the intention of eradicating all of humanity. If they truly tried, they could gradually build up their numbers and start invading towns all across Unova, and then all across the world. The only reason they haven't succeeded yet is because the Sigilyph and other Pokémon keep with locked up in Relic Castle, where they must patiently wait until an opportunity arises.

And it's been said that the opportunity has already arisen. Recently citizens of Castelia City have gone missing within the sewers below, and some people claim that the Cofagrigus have escaped Relic Castle through the tunnel leading to Castelia Sewers, and that they have begun building their numbers there too. Is our race teetering on the brink of destruction?

Four years ago a bill was proposed that an elite group of exterminators go in and kill every last Cofagrigus, but Team Plasma held a protest that Cofagrigus has as many rights as any other Pokémon, and thus the bill was denied.

As a Pokémon Professor, I love all Pokémon with my heart. But that _thing _isn't a Pokémon. It's a demon. So many people think that Cofagrigus is just another Pokémon they can catch and parade around, so I thank Arceus that so many laws have been put in place to prevent people from capturing them.

With that being said, I highly doubt you have managed to obtain a Cofagrigus. And if you have and are reading this, I'm assuming that you are now a Yamask, wishing you read this book before capturing a Cofagrigus. On the other hand, if you have been crazy prepared and passed every test to own one, then good luck!

**Personality: **Cofagrigus hates you. It hates you with every ounce of its malevolent form, and it will continue to hate you until it fades from existence completely. And it's going to try and kill you at every single opportunity that it gets, no matter how slim. If it simply kills you, then that is all that will happen. But if it can drag you into itself, then it can make you a Yamask, its current goal. That's why it will patiently wait in obedience until it has the chance to take you down.

That's why Silph Co. invented what they the 'Pokémon Dampener', a machine that will weaken whatever Pokémon wearing it, and make them incapable of harming any human being. Furthermore, they cannot remove it nor can they make any attempt to. Even if they tried to throw themselves against a wall to break it, it would prevent them from doing so. It is also made of nigh indestructible materials; meaning that it won't break during battles. It is illegal to catch a Cofagrigus without purchasing one of these beforehand.

They are also incredibly smart and deceptive. Forty years ago a notable magician insisted that he was the first man in the world to befriend a Cofagrigus, and that the Cofagrigus genuinely cared for him. During his next show he brought the Cofagrigus, which had been heavily bound with steel ropes, onto the stage, claiming that he had tied up Cofagrigus for the last ten years, and over that time they had come to truly like each other. To prove his point he began to cut the ropes restraining his so-called friend. As the last ropes fell to the ground, the Cofagrigus leapt up and devoured him immediately before the whole audience; and managed to kill another three security guards before being taken down.

In other words, Cofagrigus will patiently wait however long it will take to get you, acting pleasantly and obeying you word for word, to trick you into releasing it. You must never _ever_ fall for its deception, for an eternity of suffering awaits you. Cofagrigus is pure evil, and holds only hateful thoughts.

**Lifespan: **No Yamask wants to become a Cofagrigus. They all know how horrible they are, and how far they will fall into chaos. But unlike Yamask, Cofagrigus has a lifespan. It has to make a physical vessel to attach itself to, and traditionally this is a coffin. When this vessel wears out and is destroyed, the Cofagrigus is released and continues on to the other side.

The only other way for a Yamask to 'die' is by denying its own existence, which usually takes hundreds if not thousands of years. Due to this, many Yamask just give up and allow themselves to becomes twisted and warped into the evil creature, knowing that it will one day promise death.

Cofagrigus usually live around 160 years before they fall apart, but some can live on for thousands of years before perishing. That combined with the fact that they can create many more Yamask in their lifetimes means that they have the potential to spread like wildfire.

**Diet: **Cofagrigus is only one of three (the other two being Jellicent and Hydreigon) Unova Pokémon that has no qualm about killing and devouring humans. Jellicent and Chandelure kill humans simply for food, and Hydreigon does the same simply because it is too dim-witted and violent to think otherwise. But Cofagrigus doesn't even _need_ to eat at all, it simply wants to devour humans so it can make them suffer the same way it does.

**How To Bond: **HAH. There's not even a point to this section this time around. Cofagrigus will never truly bond with you, no matter how earnest it seems. It is only obeying and fighting for you because firstly the dampener you purchase forces it to, and secondly it is waiting for an opportunity to kill you. Remember, Cofagrigus will certainly outlive you, meaning that it will have your entire lifetime to trick and delude you. If you are elderly and dying, then it may become very frustrated and aggressive, because it is afraid that you might die before it gets to you.

If you somehow treated your Yamask so poorly that it evolved into Cofagrigus in your care; _run. Run as far as you can and don't stop running until you reach the safest place possible. _Your vengeful Cofagrigus will not stop searching for you until you are dead. And a Yamask.

**Battling: **Keep in mind Cofagrigus is only fighting for you to keep that illusion of false kindness. If it weren't for that dampener you bought, then it would turn on you in an instant. Additionally, it is much stronger than it appears, the dampener keeps it weakened to prevent anything going awry.

As typical of a pure Ghost type, it only has Dark and Ghost types to worry about. However, Cofagrigus has the highest defence of any existing Ghost type, plus the highest defence of any Pokémon in Unova. In other words, Cofagrigus is _not _going to go down easily. Given that it also has generous special attack stats, most foes will be too exhausted to defend themselves before Cofagrigus finishes them off.

Shadow Ball is the signature move of all Ghost Pokémon, since every single Ghost type can learn it. It is the strongest Ghost attack (second if you include Giratina's Shadow Force) plus Cofagrigus already has good special attack. Given that this move can also lower the enemies' special defence, a second hit could be imminent overkill.

Destiny Bond is a vengeful move that ensures the enemy will faint if Cofagrigus does. This can discourage or stall enemies who are capable of knocking Cofagrigus out, on the terms that they don't want their Pokémon to suffer either. If the dampener is removed and Cofagrigus is killed, it can use this move to take at least one person down with it.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It is only focused on killing you, so it has no interest with interacting with your other Pokémon. Despite being a pure evil Pokémon with no redeeming traits, it won't go out of its way to harm any of your team members. It will keep entirely to itself nearly always, and only acknowledge the existence of others should it be required.

Your other Pokémon on the other hand, will nearly all distrust, fear or even outright hate Cofagrigus. This is because they are ware of just how twisted Cofagrigus is, and they can sense its intent to kill you. To specify, the more your Pokémon care for you, the more they are going to resent Cofagrigus. Most will even outright attempt to kill it in an attempt to protect you, and despite this being troublesome, you _mustn't _scold them for doing it; they are just trying to protect your life!

You will have to tell your Pokémon beforehand that you have everything under control, and that Cofagrigus cannot harm you at all. Hopefully your Pokémon will take your word on it. Sigilyph, alongside starter Pokémon, will attack Cofagrigus on sight and will not stop until it is dead. This cannot be avoided, so it is impractical to even attempt to put them on the same team.

**Warnings: **I don't think I need to clarify at all. Due to the restrictions and tests required to own a Cofagrigus, you will be well aware of the dangers of possessing one.

**Summary: **Cofagrigus is an unholy abomination consisting of nothing but pure evil surrounding the wretched remains of a once human soul. It wants s to kill you, your family and your friends, and will patently wait its entire existence to do just that. It has no redeeming traits at all and will bring a shadow of darkness around with it, making everything seem dark and gloomy. It will even try and mind rape you into letting it devour you, potentially costing you your life.

It is an extremely powerful Pokémon indeed, capable of tearing anything in front of you apart. But the negatives blatantly outweigh the positives here, and I insist that you do not bother capturing one. It will more than likely be your undoing.

**Next Time… Number 070 Tirtouga!**

* * *

**A/N: Hee~ Was that enough nightmare fuel for you? Did the prospect of Cofagrigus overrunning the world make you shudder? I had a lot of fun writing this darkier and edgier chapter, so I can happily it is now my favourite. I wonder if Jellicent and Chandelure will be as much fun?**

**Cofagrigus is a cool-looking Pokémon, and he's tough too. But that does change that fact that he's totally evil, even canonically; and that's one of the issues I have with the anime. Every antagonistic Pokémon always turns out to be a 'misunderstood creature with good intentions' or has a sudden change of heart late into the episode. Truth is, some people are irredeemably evil and that can't be changed, but the anime always sidesteps that. Granted it is directed towards children, but there's no harm in letting kids know that not everyone they meet is nice.**

**Yamask really **_**is **_**a popular Pokémon; the view count spiked into the thousands just a few hours after I put the chapter up! I wonder if this chapter will have as much success?**

**Also, the whole 'dampener' idea is a shout-out to Cornova's Pokewars series. I hope he doesn't mind…**


	78. Celebrity Spotlight - Punk Girl Roxie

**A/N: Hmm… After this there are 8 Celebrity Spotlights to go. They are, in order of appearance; Brycen, Marlon, Drayden, Iris, Ghetsis, N and ?. There is one more to go between Iris and Ghetsis, but I haven't yet decided who, so I'll ask you! Who should have the spotlight, Alder or Colress? Please leave your vote in a review, and I'll have it decided by the next spotlight.**

**Name: **Roxie

**Japanese Name: **Homika

**Typing Specialty: **Poison

**Gender: **Female

**Description: **_"A little poison in your days, a little poison on the stage~"_

I haven't listened to rock since my days in university, where I used to blast Juniper's room with the heaviest bass possible. Ahh, fun times… But, I'm rambling.

Ever since then, I've spent most of my time either in the wild or deep within science labs, meaning I don't really keep up with what's hot and not all the time. But regardless, even I know about Roxie, the Poisonous Queen of the underworld, and the idol of every angsty rebellious teenager across Unova!

She owns her own music studio, runs her own rock band, and has a prime position on every major radio station. Apparently her songs have started clashing for airtime against Professor Oak's Kanto live show, making me feel sorry for that old bugger. Now Roxie shirts and caps have started selling, meaning that you'll see lilac and turquoise coloured teens skulking around every dark corner.

Three years ago after Brycen resigned as a Gym Leader, Roxie was swiftly moved in to replace him. Both her and Cheren being ranked as Gym Leaders was seem as an act of good faith towards to younger demographic from the Pokémon League Union. Historically most of Unova's Gym Leaders have been older and wiser individuals, so having some youngsters join the ranks was seen as a huge change. People liked Cheren because he is respectable and organized, but Roxie has come under a lot of stigmatism due to her… extravagant and unruly lifestyle. Many people assume she is simply a ruffian who screams into a microphone all night and slacks are all day.

Yeesh, are they wrong. Roxie truly is a unique girl with a cheeky attitude, but she certainly doesn't' let that interfere with her duties as a Gym Leader. In fact, that's part of why she was so highly recommended to take the position; she's strong and determined enough to provide a good challenge to trainers, but laidback and responsible enough to handle it with ease while dealing with her duties as a rock band leader and daily life.

**Personality: **Lots of people are terrified when they first challenge Roxie's gym. It's bad enough having to walk underground into a dark, dubious lair filled with moody looking teenagers, and it certainly doesn't help when she's screaming at you to get on stage so she can 'rock' you.

But after battling her, whether it was a victory or defeat, that challenger always walks away feeling refreshed and excited. No one can really explain it, but Roxie insists that 'poison is the best medicine' whatever that means.

Anyway, she's typical of any teenager you'd find around Virbank City. Defiant, naughty, a loudmouth, and has a poisonous attitude. But unlike all the other brats in town, it actually works well for her. That behaviour combined with her ability to keep with the demands every other Gym Leader must face, without _any_ bad consequences, makes her seem really competent even when she's not trying. And that's Roxie's major talent; she does well at everything she tries without even trying. It's difficult to even wrap that around my head!

Roxie hasn't always had the attitude she has today. In fact, she was quite a pleasant little girl a long time ago. But her mother fell seriously ill due to blood-clotting in her brain, and Roxie spent her last days with her mother watching through a glass window.

Her dad has always been caught up with the frantic demands of being a commercial sailor, meaning he had little time for his daughter. Both the passing of her mother and her father's lack of care is what made her start acting up, as a way to express her sorrow and loneliness. Even though she's gotten over her mother's death, and her father spends a bit more time with her, she has still clung onto that toxic attitude.

She doesn't admit it, but Roxie secretly does care for her father, even though it looks like they dislike each other at face value. It would be safe to assume that she's terrified of him dying as well.

Her mother's death is the reason Roxie loves Poison types. You see, her mother died due to blood clotting in the brain. Back then doctors treated blood clots with a poison known as Warfarin, which prevents blood from clotting. Even though it wasn't enough to save her mother's life, Roxie came to understand that poison can help people too. This is why she gets rally mad whenever people dismiss Poison types are a mere nuisance or inconvenience.

**Battling: **Poison them! Poison them! And when they're lying on the floor poisoned, poison them some more! That's Roxie's tactics in a nutshell.

Her team consists of a Koffing and a Whirlipede, and both have relatively good defences. Her strategy is to poison your Pokémon, and then fall back onto those defences and withstand any attacks you throw, until you Pokémon becomes too exhausted by the effects of poison too continue, and then finish them off with simple attacks. It's a simple yet effective technique, and she has an extra few techniques up her ragged sleeve should you try and outsmart her.

For example, even if you managed to evade her attempts at poisoning you, her Whirlipede's ability is Poison Point, and knows the move Poison Sting. In other words, you have to be poisoned in order to actually deal any damage. To make things worse, it knows Venoshock, which deals huge amounts of damage to already poisoned Pokémon. Even as the battle has begun, she's already forced you into a tough situation. Isn't that clever?

The most obvious and resounding choice for this battle is Steel type Pokémon. They have a full resistance to Poison types and have high defences, ruining her entire strategy altogether. I've heard she becomes visibly angered whenever she sees a challenger bringing in Steel types!

Magnemite are abundant within the Virbank Complex, and just one will make a suitable candidate. If you really want to be a troll, catch two and challenge Roxie to a double battle. Either way, she is going to be nearly fully incapable of doing anything to stop you in those circumstances. It's a quick and easy way to get a badge too.

**With Pokémon: **Roxie loves Poison types for the reason specified above, and she acts much kinder to them that she does to anyone else. She cares for hers very much, and is willing to overlook the fact that they secrete poison everywhere and are somewhat hazardous to be around. If Koffing is sick, she had to wear a gas mask to protect herself from the gases being released.

She is enraged whenever someone mentions that they don't like Poison types, and she will even angrily challenge them to a battle in unacceptable circumstances. This doesn't really help her public image, but she' simply trying to defend the honour of her Pokémon and I can understand that. I heard Dunsparce has its own fan club full of people willing to defend it for the very same reason. I guess everyone has their favourite Pokémon that they want everyone else to like as well.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Brycen!**

**A/N: Ah, sorry for not updating any of my stories recently. It was my birthday on the 16****th****, and we all know what an 18****th**** Birthday Party is like… good grief. Plus I had an interview on the same day, and got accepted into University! I'll be studying Japanese for the next 5 years and after graduation they will secure me a job as a teacher in Japan!**

**Anyway, I'm rambling. My course starts in February, and after that I'm obviously going to be rather busy, and the rate of updates may be slower. But don't worry! I'll still work hard on this, and it won't be forgotten at all. In the next few days things should settle down and I can work harder again. The prospect of writing Zoroark's chapter is encouragement anyway.**

**Also, I've been meaning to update my Origins story, but like I said I've been busy and I've had a little writer's block. I haven't forgotten about it, I promise!**

**Fun Facts: Roxie is the first Poison Gym Leader outside of Kanto.**

**Her bass guitar resembles the Venipede family.**

**She is the first Gym Leader to appear in the anime before the games.**

**Just like all Unova Gym Leaders, her Japanese name is based on a plant. In this case **_**Homika**_** comes from **_**Strychnos nux-vomica, **_**the Latin name for the poisonous strychnine tree.**


	79. 070 Tirtouga

**Number: **# 070

**Type: **Water - Rock

**Species: **Prototurtle – Ancient Turtle

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Protoga

**Description: **Oh, did you somehow manage to obtain a Tirtouga? You must have participated in the annual prehistory festival! If you got one without attending, I'll explain anyway.

The annual prehistory festival is exactly what it sounds like. Once a year a festival is held to study and learn about the prehistory of our world, and all the events and Pokémon that lived and took place there. It takes place over five days, and is commanded by Professor Fennel and Lenora, proprietor of the Nacrene Museum. While the major focus is educating people and entertaining them with stalls, markets and games, a large battling tournament takes place too. To end the whole festival, the winners of that tournament are allowed to choose between two fossils, the cover fossil, or the plume fossil. They will then have that fossil restored, and be awarded the corresponding Pokémon. In this way one can earn a Tirtouga, by choosing the cover fossil.

The only other way to get a Tirtouga is by finding your own cover fossil and taking it into the Nacrene Museum to be restored. However, finding one is a once in a lifetime event, thus making it unlikely that you'll ever find one. Clay has reportedly dug up a few while digging away in his tunnels, I hear.

At any rate this Pokémon is extremely rare; due to the fact its species is technically extinct. The only individuals currently alive are the ones that have been restored in the last 20 years, and the last natural ones died out millions of years ago. On an estimate there are only 240 currently alive, some of those would have evolved. So it would be remarkable to encounter someone else who has one too.

The professors responsible for Pokémon fossil restoration came under fire from several groups of people a while ago, all insisting that it is cruel to force an ancient species back into this world where they do not belong, and that they are better off remaining fossils. Since Juniper is a good friend of most of those professors, she used her good publicity to dissuade most of the protesters. She claims it was for the sake of both science and Pokémon, but I'm certain that she has some evil intentions!

Anyway, Tirtouga lived plentifully in the ancient version of Unova many years ago, flourishing well due to the lack of predators. They spent the majority of their time deep in the water, but often trekked onto land to gather food and kill prey. Despite their initial good luck, this species became extinct alongside Archen and Genesect due to being outcompeted and overwhelmed by all the new Pokémon species popping up. Even the most superior of species can quickly fall if there is not enough food to go around.

Due to the design of their body they are swift and dexterous swimmers but slow and vulnerable when on land, forced into awkwardly shuffling forward with effort. The seas were very barren back in the prime of their day, so they had no choice but to go on land to confront other species for food. Since there was so many of them, they could rely on mere numbers to take stronger enemies down.

**Personality: **This world is not their world. The world that they are familiar with has long faded away, altered over the multitudes of years to be vastly different from anything Tirtouga is adjusted to living in. A lot of people have this strange belief that Tirtouga is being restored by bringing the fossil directly back to life, but that is certainly impossible. Instead DNA is taken from the fossil and placed into a vacant embryo within a Pokémon egg… It's a whole lot of scientific jibber jabber, but in simpler terms they are allowing the Tirtouga to be born from an egg, just like any other Pokémon today. Due to that it is going to be just like any other baby Pokémon you would hatch, and thus shouldn't be treated any different.

The difference lies in its instinctual behaviours. It will have no memories of the prehistoric era, since it has just been born. But it will still have all of the basic instincts built into its mind telling it how to survive. But these instincts are defunct, since they apply to a world that no longer exists. You will need to override these instincts by teaching Tirtouga how to survive in your own way; just like you would tech any other baby.

Generally they are a very calm and curious species that like to investigate anything that seems interesting. This is because the seas they used to live in were empty, meaning that any foreign encounter would excite the whole group. This trait still passes on to modern Tirtouga, meaning they can be overwhelmed with all of the bright and futuristic things we have going on in this world. That's why it's a terrible idea to take Tirtouga into cities early off, because all the glitz of the city life will be too much for the poor little critter.

When in the water they are considerably more confident, as that is their home territory. It may be surprised to see all of the new species swimming around, and may start approaching random Pokémon to interact. It won't wander too far from you however, because you are mama! Well, not really. You are its caregiver and it understands that very well and thus it will stay close to remain fed and wallow in your affection.

**Lifespan: **As expected of a cold-blooded reptile, they have a generous lifespan in comparison to other oceanic species. 80 years Is the average age for a single specimen to reach, meaning it may possibly outlive you if you have restored it and are older than 20 years or so. But since it will probably have evolved by then and thus have its lifespan extended furthermore, then it will certainly outlive you no matter when to restored it.

**Diet: **In prehistory they swam onto land to gather foods of varying types. A portion of it was simply berries and seaweeds, but it was mostly dominated by Pokémon prey; making Tirtouga an omnivore. They would usually come forward in small groups and attack the same creature en masse, using their combined attacks to bring down the stronger and larger foe. Once killed, they would all tear the body apart with their sharp beaks. Once they had eaten their fill, they would drag the body back into the water so the younger ones could have a bite too.

With you, your restored Tirtouga will be living mostly on land, and will not have the fellow Tirtouga to help it bring down enemies for food. Due to that, it will simply have to be content with being fed berries and packets of meat, readily available at any butcher. Pokémon pellets will do as well, but you must buy the Water type-specific ones, normal pellets will be far too dry for Tirtouga's tastes.

**How To Bond:** Tirtouga will see you the way any newly hatched baby will see you. You are its sole caregiver, and thus it will demand a lot of affection and nurturing from you. That said, it's even more helpless than normal babies since it has no instincts informing it how to survive in this world. You're really going to have to have a close eye on this little guy for a few months at least.

Thankfully it will keep close to you, so watching it isn't going to be too strenuous a job. Be advised that if you spend little time around water, it will be compelled to jump into any body of water it sees when given the opportunity.

It _is _a marine Pokémon, so you should try and let it have a swim around at least three times a week. Any clean body of water will do, rivers, lakes, oceans, and now there are Pokémon pools that are dedicated to letting Water Pokémon have fun and socialise. That kind of place would be fantastic to take Tirtouga to, as it will help develop its social and interacting skills.

Simply feeding it, talking to it, playing with it and giving it plenty of time to swim around will be enough to earn its undying loyalty and gratitude. It doesn't have any specific or demanding requirements, which can balance out the fact it needs extra attention.

**Battling: **In water it is capable of fighting on level with any other aquatic species, having the same dexterity and tactics. But on land Tirtouga is slower and has to act a lot more tactfully in order to survive. Instead of fighting at high speed like in the water, Tirtouga generally remains in one place and employs both short and long range attacks to fell foes, while relying on its strong shell and leathery skin to endure attacks.

Fighting and Ground are two of its four weaknesses, and both are rather common as well. But what you really have to watch out for is Grass types, having a quadruple weakness to it is very worrying indeed. Furthermore Tirtouga has no moves to fight back against this treat, unless you can afford to buy the TMs Ice Beam and Blizzard. Both of those can scare off any floral aggressors. If you stay away from forests you won't encounter that many Grass types anyway, but it's important to keep a sharp eye out for them.

Withdraw is a standard move that Tirtouga will use quite a lot, retreating into its shell to defend itself from attacks. At that point it can either retaliate with Water Gun or Rollout, depending on which way you want the battle to sway. Bite is a dark type move, and lets you use something other than just Rock and Water type moves. It's useful to have a rogue move like that in case it comes in handy.

Ancient Power is a mysterious move that lets Tirtouga make use of the forgotten abilities it possess as a creature of a time gone by, and in some instances allows it to outcompete Pokémon of the modern era…

Brine is normally mediocre in power, but if the enemy is already suffering from injuries it can deal twice the damage! That is because this move utilizes seawater, and as we all know getting the salt in seawater in your wounds can be very painful.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It's going to be rather curious about them, and will approach to investigate. While normally this has no negative results, some Pokémon may not appreciate being so bluntly approached. A modern Pokémon would be able to tell the difference between a friendly one and a grumpy one, but Tirtouga simply doesn't know. Due to that it may get into a few fights, creating tense situations later on. If you do have rather anti-social Pokémon, you may need to closely monitor their interactions so they know how to interact with each other appropriately.

Take note that if Tirtouga sees any Basculin, Omanyte or Omastar, it will simply see them as food and try to devour them immediately. There's no way working around this problem, so it wouldn't be wise to have either of those Pokémon on the same team as a Tirtouga.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Tirtouga is a demanding Pokémon that requires a lot of care and attention, and you will need to spend quite a bit of time making it acquainted with this world. When it evolves it will be able to think more tactfully for itself, but for the meantime you will have to play mama. On the other hand it doesn't really need any special requirements for bonding or food, so that's a plus. It's also apparently fun to take care of such an ancient and mysterious Pokémon. If you don't mind running around after such a cute Pokémon, then it's good for you!

**Next Time… Number 071 Carracosta!**

* * *

**A/N: Meh, turtles can be cute or ugly depending on what species they are. In this example Tirtouga fits into the cute category, rather than ugly like most of the other turtle Pokémon.**

**I've never really liked any of the fossil Pokémon except Aerodactyl, but this Pokémon is an exception. Maybe because it doesn't look as weird as hell like ones such as Lileep… **

**Fun Facts: Tirtouga and its evolved form are the only Fossil Pokémon to have Rock as their secondary type.**

**Tirtouga also resembles a turtle Pokémon that was scrapped back in Generation 2.**

**It is based on a baby sea turtle, specifically a leatherback. Its name may come from **_**Tortuga, **_**which is Spanish for turtle.**

_**Protoga **_**may come from **_**Protostega (**_**an extinct turtle species) or proto.**


	80. 071 Carracosta

**Number: **# 071

**Type: **Water - Rock

**Species: **Prototurtle – Ancient Turtle

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Abagoura

**Description: **_"If ya ain't got insurance, it's gonna cost ya! So ring up and join, Carracosta!" _Carracosta Ltd is a thriving insurance company situated in Icirrus City. If you were looking for the Pokémon, carry on.

In the golden age of cinema, Carracosta was absolutely everywhere. Shortly after the technique of reviving fossil Pokémon was invented, thousands of people became fascinated with the prospect of ancient Pokémon and the secrets of their world. And due to that, many movies rapidly popped up focusing on Carracosta in many different ways. But true to the nature of humans, most of the information was gathered from hearsay rather than actual scientific facts, and as a result most of those movies were more than inaccurate.

But amongst all the rumours and speculation stand some very true facts. Despite being the height of a small human child, they would be very scary to encounter in real life. They have a very tough looking appearance, complemented by a solid shell, mighty beak and sharp claws. They can no longer withdraw into their shell like their previous form, but it provides enough defence anyway, not to mention they have very tough skin.

They too died out millions of years ago, just like all the other fossilized species today. It's not surprising through, when an elite and supposedly perfect race such as the Genesect can be wiped out, so too can any other normal species of Pokémon. It certainly wasn't their own fault though, the Carracosta were very tactful and were capable of outsmart most species back then.

As a Tirtouga it was slow on land, but with this new body it is considerably faster. It is still not capable of running speed, but with long range attacks such as Hydro Pump that doesn't really matter. It's powerful beak and jaws are as strong as the rest of its shell, and are capable of tearing apart almost anything it can fit into its mouth. Even armour plating wouldn't protect someone if a Carracosta decided it wanted to eat them. The implications of this are what spurned on so many films about Carracosta coming back to life and taking over the world.

Of course that is extremely unlikely, as there are only around a hundred currently alive, and those mere numbers are certainly not enough to provide any sort of threat to humans or Pokémon at all. But even so there is a tiny wild population that is growing, so maybe one day there will be a sizable colony terrorizing our beaches.

Tirtouga spent the majority of its time in deep water, but Carracosta spends as much time on land than it does in the deep blue. Since they keep going back and forth between the two zones, beaches would be an ideal place for them to live.

**Personality: **It's a lot smarter than a Tirtouga, and is more adaptive and can survive in this foreign world much easier than before. For example, Tirtouga would be incapable of telling the difference between a dangerous Pokémon and a friendly one, even if they were to give an obvious social signal. But Carracosta can identify which Pokémon are dangerous but their facial expressions and body language. Something like that may sound trivial to us, but it really is a life-saving skill that everyone needs to have.

Carracosta are normally a docile species, and are nearly always this way when with friends or allies, most particularly their trainer. In this state they are quite clam and happy to spend time idly relaxing in the sunshine or in water. Despite this they are relatively serious, so they only smile or laugh or rare occasions. This isn't because Carracosta doesn't have a sense of humour, it's because it simply doesn't understand what we find funny and why we find it funny. It's similar to when a group of friends giggle about an inside joke; it's funny to them because they understand the premises, but to an outsider it makes no sense at all.

On the other hand they can be very aggressive, especially when defending allies, family or their trainer from attackers. In this state they roar madly and attack anyone foreign with brutal force. They let out a very deep, guttural roar as they charge forward and smack everything backwards, or tear it up it with their claws. Be advised that Carracosta hails from an era where murder is a normal part of life, so if anyone dares to attack you unprovoked it may cost them their life, if you aren't quick enough to withdraw Carracosta immediately.

**Lifespan: **They have only existed for the last few decades, so we haven't yet seen one die of natural causes. But even so, judging by examinations of fossils we can estimate that Carracosta can easily reach the age of half a century before worrying about death. To simplify, 500 years is an average estimate. That means Carracosta may be watching over your great-great-grandchildren one day!

**Diet: **Unsurprisingly it no longer has an interest in foods like berries or seaweeds, and instead has a penchant for meat. It has more self-controlled than expected, since it should have spent at least a few months with you adjusting to this world as a Tirtouga.

In their own age they would eat any creature that lived in the water or dared come so close to the beach, since their beak would let them devour the entire creature, shell, bones and all. In modern times they can't really get away with that, but no-one's going to complain if it devours any number of Basculin. No-one's going to miss a few Patrat, or Pidove, or any other small Pokémon either.

If you really can't bear letting Carracosta eat all the little critter it sees, so lack the means to allow it to do so, then you can easily buy packs of meat, or meat favoured pellets. Carracosta won't really mind the difference and it'll make things easier too.

**How To Bond: **You can't have a Carracosta without evolving it from a Tirtouga first. And since Tirtouga would need a good few months before it's ready to evolve, that leaves are large window of time for you to personally bond with it, especially since it depends on you heavily. Now that it has evolved into a Carracosta it can stand independently from you and doesn't require as much attention as before. It can also learn for itself and adapt to survive, so now you can hang up your mama coat.

It is still a foreign Pokémon in this world though, so it will want you to stick around just for comfort. After all, you're the only normal thing it sees in this crazy land! It will really appreciate being able to swim frequently, so frequent trips to the beach would be really fantastic. It is a rather outdoorsy Pokémon and prefers to going outside rather than staying cramped up in buildings. So try and stay as close to nature as you possibly can. This is good for most of your other Pokémon anyway, so there's no harm in doing so.

It will most certainly outlive you, and since you're probably the only person it knows, it's going to be very torn up after you die. There's no way of cheating death, so instead you will have to prepare Carracosta if you fear you final days are dawning. It'll have plenty of time to grieve and recover, so you needn't worry about the consequences of dying.

**Battling: **Carracosta is powerful in terms of both offence and defence; being capable of rending great holes into metal with just a slap, and being capable of surviving a small missile blast. But at a cost it is very slow and lumbering, and thus it takes a while for it to get fully into the battle. That means it's going to have a tough time against any quick Fighting or Electric types, who will out speed Carracosta at every opportunity. It can hold its own against Ground types, since its Water attacks will be effective.

A Psychic – Flying type such as Sigilyph or Swoobat would make a perfect partner for Carracosta, having immunity to Ground and an advantage over Fighting and Grass. But it would share Carracosta's weakness to Electric, so beware. It's also worth mentioning that quite a few Carracosta have Solid Rock as their ability, which softens the blow of super effective attacks.

It may have a stubby tail, but that doesn't stop it from having a strong Aqua Tail attack. Carracosta's slow movement means that the foe may have enough warning to dodge the attack however.

Rock Slide is not as strong, but it can hit many foes at once and you don't really have to worry about accuracy, because it's simply a cluster of boulder's being flung at the enemy. While they are busying dodging rocks, you can move in closer for a staggering blow. Distracting enemies is also a tactic, you know?

Rain Dance will summon a temporary rainstorm to fall around the area (please don't ask me how) which will strengthen any Water attacks used, and will dampen down the effectiveness of Fire type attacks. That's not really useful anyway, since Carracosta has a quadruple resistance to Fire anyway. But it _does_ weaken Solar Beam, a Grass attack that could be a one hit knockout for Carracosta in normal circumstances.

Hydro Pump is one of the strongest Water type moves in the world, yet it is rather inaccurate. This doesn't bode well for a slow Pokémon like Carracosta, since it can simply give the foe more time to whittle away at its health. It might be best to use this move straight after summoning a Rain Dance and then distracting the foe with a Rock Slide. In a situation like that, you can be sure the enemy won't be getting back up.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **In their natural families it was the Carracosta's duty to protect the younger Tirtouga from harm, and this mind-set will stick with it while accompanying you and your other Pokémon. Even if it doesn't like your other Pokémon, it will do it's best to protect them from harm, even if it means mutilating and enemies. They are also very protective of helpless or baby Pokémon in particular.

Even so, their main priority is protecting you, and thus they will protect you by eliminating potential threats if deemed necessary. For example, you catch a shady Liepard one day, and the next day it's caught stealing from you. Don't be surprised if Carracosta cracks its skull. You could tell Carracosta to not act so defensively, and it will begrudging comply.

Some of your other Pokémon may be a little scared of Carracosta, but if they are in a position to do so then they needn't worry, sine Carracosta won't perceive them as a threat. It would be a clever idea to hold a little get-together shortly after it evolves from a Tirtouga, just so everyone can become accustomed to the changes it will incur.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Carracosta is certainly a friends-for-life Pokémon, so you need to keep that in mind when reviving a cover fossil. You can't just decide you don't want it anymore and trade it away like other Pokémon, so you seriously need to consider whether you have the patience and compassion to deal with such a Pokémon. If you conclude that you can't then it would be wiser to get an Archen instead.

It's a strong and reliable Pokémon, but it is quite behind the times and acts impulsively, so you will have to stick around to make sure it doesn't run into trouble. Plus lots of people may panic or attack when they see a prehistoric creature lurking around, so be prepared for some… extra attention from your neighbours.

**Next Time… Number 072 Archen!**

* * *

**A/N: Gah, I hate it when I'm too tired to continue writing, especially when I'm close to wrapping up a chapter. An energy drink or two can remedy that; although sometimes I get **_**too**_** energized and I can't keep still to type properly. Good grief.**

**As you would've guessed, I based a lot of this chapter on all of those old heavily-inaccurate dinosaur films back in the day. You know, the ones where the directors thought a neck could bend like a silly straw? They're rather cheesy, but that gives them their own unique charm, I say.**

**On an unrelated note, I wonder how much attention Zoroark is going to grab? Quite a few readers only stop by when their favourite Pokémon pops up, and we all know how successful Zoroark has been… Although I could say the same for Jellicent, Chandelure, Hydreigon and practically every legendary.**

**Fun Facts: Carracosta and Tirtouga are the only fossil Pokémon to have Rock as their secondary type. **

**It is based on Archelon, a prehistoric turtle that is the largest that has even existed. That's a little strange considering Carracosta is only 1.2 metres tall.**

**Its name may be based on carapace, or **_**costa, **_**which is both Latin and Spanish for coast. **


	81. 072 Archen

**Number: **# 072

**Type: **Rock – Flying

**Species: **First Bird – Old Bird

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Archen

**Description: **Archen was the first Flying type Pokémon to ever exist, yet shamefully it cannot fly. The title of first flying Pokémon is reserved for its evolved form Archeops, yet a lot of evidence suggests that Aerodactyl took to the skies around the same time, so my fellow scientists have been unable to decide which one came first.

Our knowledge on the origins and adaption of life is somewhat sparse, our only sources of information being relics and fossils. But in the rare instances we have had to talk to them, some of the older legendary Pokémon have obliged to share their knowledge too. It is undeniable proof that Arceus was the first Pokémon and life form to exist, and he created Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf after him. Later on Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza were created, to shape and create the Earth under Arceus' instructions. Seeing that everything was under control, Arceus fell into sleep. The next species to come into existence was the Mew species, but how exactly they were created is unknown. Either Arceus woke up again to create them to populate the barren land, or they simply came to be over the many years to Earth was formed.

Either way, every other species came into existence due to the Mew species mutating to adapt their surroundings. But the evolution and creation of new species isn't instantaneous, it takes many years for the changes to occur and become distinct and this is where Archen comes into play. A Mew didn't just suddenly evolve into an Unfezant! No, no. It took many mutations and evolutions before a flying Pokémon could even be conceivable, and Archen was the first step towards filling the skies with countless birds millions of years later.

In other words Archen was simply the placeholder for everything to come, so it wasn't important that it couldn't fly. And even that fact changed when it gained the ability to evolve into Archeops!

Even though it has what closely resembles wings, it cannot use these to get a single inch off of the ground. Instead, it used its little legs to hurriedly run everywhere, and its small claws to scale walls and climb up trees. When up in the treetops it could safely hop from branch to branch without fear of being attacked by predators, since most other Pokémon could do nothing but scuttle around on the ground below at that time. Since Archen had few predators and a relatively pleasurable lifestyle, it could take full opportunity of this to give its species time to evolve into Archeops and take to the skies, where predators would be a distant problem.

It's a little ironic that this very hope is what brought the Archen species crashing into extinction. After leaving a legacy of ample airborne Pokémon after them, the Archen found that they were dying of starvation due to these quicker, adaptive species. In other words, Archen's own success drove itself to its ultimate death; to be replaced by the many birds we see today.

Fortunately for them, modern technology has allowed us to revitalize their species and bring it back into this world. They're still as incapable at flight as they were before, but at the very least they're alive. They have also had a lot more success breeding into the wild than Tirtouga, since they are less vulnerable and can procreate much quicker. Small Archen and Archeops have begun to very slowly show up around Unova, but they are still of mythical status right now.

Just like Tirtouga, Archen can only be obtained by restoring a plume fossil, either buy winning one of finding it on your own. This makes Archen just as elusively rare as Tirtouga, as it is still considered extinct.

**Personality: **It's as clueless and inexperienced in this world as Tirtouga is, so you can expect a similar scenario. But unfortunately it is quite a bird-brain, having just enough intelligence to climb trees to survive. It's smart enough to keep itself alive (mostly), but it also has a habit of doing stupid things, like pecking at larger foes or running off on its own. This makes it even more troublesome to own, as you would probably need to have it on a leash to prevent it from getting into trouble.

Despite all that, they are smart enough to effectively gather and stockpile food, and make means to prevent predators getting to them. In other words, they technically are smart enough to thrive, but their own silly impulses can be their own undoing. Isn't that the perfect description of bird-brained? They can be frustratingly dumb, but in some circumstances can outsmart their _own _trainers. Are they just playing dumb?

Even though their glazed facial expressions would imply they are emotionless, they do genuinely care for their flock members, in this case you and your Pokémon. They make a lot of clumsy mistakes, but they seem to behave better when working alongside their friends, as though the bond of friendship boosts their common sense or something…

**Lifespan: **Unlike their aquatic counterpart, Archen do not have a gratuitously long life. This, plus the fact that there are more predators on land then water, means that Archen has to work harder to breed and secure the future generation a safe spot in their harsh, unrelenting world. This instinct carries on to today, meaning that they're likely to hump any other Archen they meet. Or any Flying Pokémon. Or rock. Or your leg. I can't tell whether they're trolling you or genuinely feel the desire to needlessly breed with everything, but either way that must be humiliating.

Anyway, about 24 years would be average for a typical Archen. If you turn it into a fat, spoilt lap-pet then it might live for a while longer, but treating Pokémon in such a way is rather…controversial.

**Diet: **Examinations of Archen fossils show they ate both berries and meat without judgement, dragging both clusters of berries and Pokémon carcasses up to their treetop haven. They clawed out a cavity into the tree trunk and tossed all the food into there, much like what a modern Pachirisu would do. Although this is technically stockpiling, most of the food would quickly be devoured in the next day or two, since meat rots quite quickly.

So you can easily feed it anything your Tirtouga would eat, but be warned that it hates the taste of Pokémon pellets. Feeding it some for the first time will result in it spewing them out and squawking angrily, and any further attempts will result in it ignoring them all together. That's quite a hassle since pellets are the most easy and readily available Pokémon food, but you will have to make do. It can easily forage and hunt on its own, but it will very likely wander off and get lost for good.

**How To Bond: **Archen isn't the bright fossil in the museum collection, but it still has a heart that can care and love; meaning you can develop a caring relationship with it just like any other Pokémon. But due to its ancient customs, its reaction to this is totally unpredictable. It may decide you're its brand new mate, or that you're an annoying uncle, or that you're a godly overlord that must be obeyed. Who knows what goes on in such an outdated brain?

At any rate, you should soon catch onto how it sees you, and respond appropriately. If it sees you as superior, then you can relax without worry, but if it sees you as inferior, then you will have to subdue the disobedient bird. The moment it realises that you're the one feeding it, and disobeying means no food, it should behave immediately. Otherwise you could smack it on the head with a newspaper and hope it doesn't peck out your eyes.

Once it is no longer inclined to rebel against you, that's when you can really get to know each other. They like open spaces where they can run around, but also like places where there are lots of trees to climb, meaning that a sparse forest or a public park would make a great place for them to visit. Since they have a habit of wandering off, you will have to either relentlessly pursue it yourself, or send a more agile Pokémon to keep an eye on it. So long as you have some strategy for keeping it around, you can rest easy.

It will love being fed by hand, and that will really get the message across that you care. This will also portray you as a caring parent, as this is the method adults feed their babies. Having that kind of image is a really good way to get Archen to trust you.

Other than that, keep calm and live happily! When Archen sees that you care for it, and there's no need for fear, it will really come to like you and be more than happy to sit on your lap, rather than stalk the treetops alone. You're the only one who's going to care for it, and it will soon realise this.

**Battling:** It is very fast and hits hard, but its defences are pathetically thin. On top of that it has five weaknesses and little to counter with, making it a prime example of a glass cannon. You can't really blame it though, since its whole purpose was to make way for faster Pokémon capable of flight.

You're going to have to be very careful when sending Archen out to battle; in fact it would be wise just to wait until you know what typing your enemy is before sending Archen out. If you make a poor decision regarding typing, then Archen isn't going to last long out there at all.

Strategy-wise, you will have to rely on its speed to punish foes before they have the opportunity to get a hit in, and retreat when Archen needs to rest. Leaving it out there for too long will result in it getting tired out and too vulnerable to defend its already lacking defences.

Wing attack is where Archen slaps its foe silly wing its cumbersome wings. Rock Throw is exactly what it sounds like; Archen lobs a big rock at the foe. This is good for dealing with foes at a distance, but a single rock is easy to dodge, meaning you might have to use it as a distraction rather than an attack.

If you see your enemy holding a berry, pluck would be a good move to use. This move deals damage and steals the berry they were holding, meaning they can't use it anymore. That means Archen can also eat the berry to get the desired effect if needed.

Agility is a very useful move which boosts Archen's speed greatly, and this is normally the first move you will want to use when starting a battle. It's vital that Archen is faster than the foe, so there's nothing wrong by playing it safe.

Strangely Archen can learn Dragon Breath, a decent Dragon move capable of paralyzing the enemy. It may be strange that a Pokémon like Archen can learn such a move, but it _is _rumoured to have evolved from progenitor Dragon type species.

**Warnings: **None.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Well, Archen will either get along fine or horribly depending on a number of factors. Most Pokémon in general will get along with it without any issues at all, but Bug types or small Pokémon such as Patrat will just be considered food and nothing more. Likewise larger Pokémon such as Scolipede will simply be seen as predators and Archen will be too terrified to even think about making friends. To generalize, and weak, small, large or powerful Pokémon won't be able to get anywhere near Archen. Such fussiness can be frustrating, so you will have to check beforehand whether or not your Pokémon will make good friends. It's not worth having a freaked out, paranoid bird constantly skulking around.

**Summary: **Archen is quite troublesome to care for, and it can guarantee a handful of stressful situations. It's fussy in terms of food and friends, and will expect a lot from you, so it's not for the weak of mind. On the other hand, it is quite a strong Pokémon, and evolves into a _very _powerful Pokémon later on, although it has its own drawback…

If you're patient enough to deal with one of these primeval Pokémon, or just have a fanatic passion for anything prehistoric, then Archen will make a quirky yet fun friend for you!

**Next Time… Number 073 Archeops!**

* * *

**A/N: For some reason, I got a very strong Misty's Psyduck vibe from Archen while writing this chapter. Maybe it's because poor Archen looks so clueless in all of its sprites. I might have rambled a bit about the whole universal origin idea, but I didn't really want to start halfway through the concept. For later reference, the whole creation thing will be brought up a few more times in the future guides, but probably only in Mew's, Arceus' and the Creation trio's chapters, which are far, far away at any rate.**

**Archen is certainly not the kind of Pokémon it would use due to its weaknesses and low defences. If a Pokémon can't really hold its weight, then I'm too paranoid to use it. That has its own repercussions though…**

**Fun Facts: It is based on a Archaeopteryx, and that is also where its name comes from. Since it is a rather reptilian flightless bird, it may also be based on feathered dinosaurs like Velociraptor. **


	82. 073 Archeops

**Number: **# 073

**Type: **Rock – Flying

**Species: **First Bird – Old Bird

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Archeos

**Description: **Many people can't decide whether Archeops is freaky-looking or awesome, and likewise can't decide whether it's a bird or reptile. While it is officially considered the first Flying type Pokémon, (although the Aerodactyl fan club grumbles about that constantly) they do have many traits of reptilian Pokémon. That's not really a step forward in evolution, but it isn't a step backwards either. Is it a step sideways?

Anyway, Archeops is now capable of getting its scaly and feathery hide off of the ground and into the skies, far away from anything with the intention of hurting it. But since Archeops receives a large boost in power through evolution, it's not like anything would stand a chance anyway. Since it is the first evolutionary step towards modern Flying Pokémon, it's no surprise that it isn't exactly the most… graceful of birds.

Its feathered wings are thick and ruffled, which is necessary for it to be capable of flight. Most birds have thin, fragile bones to reduce weight and allow them to fly easier, but Archeops still has the thick bones of a reptile; meaning it has to exert more effort to stay airborne. It also has smaller 'winglets' attached to its feet, which it uses to support itself via wind currents.

Unlike most Flying types today, Archeops can't just leap into the air and fly away. Instead it requires a large run-up to gather the momentum required to get off of the ground. On average Archeops needs to be at a running speed of 25 mph [40 kph] to be capable of flight, meaning it will need a clear runway of about 30 – 50 metres to fly. This means that Archeops cannot fly at all if it cannot meet either of those requirements.

Since its wings are simply prototypes, its legs are actually its strongest body part. The muscles in these are very tight yet lithe, letting them reach fast speeds faster than most other prehistoric Pokémon. In modern times they can easily keep pace with a vehicle, something that is slightly disturbing since wild ones have been found eating human corpses.

Even though they were the only Pokémon capable of flight at the time, they didn't spend at much time in the air as you would expect. Instead most of their life was spent either running through the dense bushes under the forest canopy, or leaping through the upper braches of treetops. There weren't many other Pokémon back then capable of even taking the Archeops on, so they lived a rather relaxed lifestyle. But here in the future, there are many Pokémon far superior to Archeops, easily capable of beating them in battle. The Archeops certainly were in for a rude awakening!

**Personality: **Instead of being momentously derpy like before it is actually very intelligent and resourceful, allowing it to supersede not only its pre-evolved form, but the majority of other species back in the prehistoric era. While it may have appeared to be a genius back then, in modern times it is only slightly smarter than average.

They are very team-orientated, and will work wordlessly alongside allies without complaining. The prehistoric world was a brutal place, and thus working together was commonly the only way to live on. Due to that, the few Archeops flocks that we have personally witnessed work together almost telepathically, as if they know what everyone is intending without saying anything. In reality, they are simply reading each other's minute facial expressions to determine what to do next. This helps them hunt prey without giving themselves away.

At first, Archeops are very aggressive and confident, always ready to leap out into battle and earn glorious victory. This gives the impression that they are courageous and fearless, but that is not the truth at all. The very moment they realise they are outnumbered or outmatched, they will stick their scaly tail between their legs and run away, squawking loudly in panic. In other words, they put up a false façade of nobility, but really are just big scaredy-birds. If they are backed up by allies, probably you, then they will stick around to fight.

**Lifespan: **Most Pokémon have their life extended by a decent amount at the very least when they evolve, but Archeops missed out on that. 32 years isn't very long for a fully evolved Pokémon at all. But it's worth remembering that Archeops is simply a placeholder for modern it Pokémon, it was a stepping-stone; not meant to last.

**Diet: **Its little fangs give away the fact it is no longer a sappy omnivore, it's a complete meat eating machine now! That's right, berries can't satisfy this little birdy anymore. Only fresh juicy meat can full its stomach, so visits to the butcher may be more common than usual. Or you could let it loose onto the wilderness to feast and hope it doesn't drag a Bouffalant into your living room.

It prefers to eat small amounts of food frequently rather than have infrequent meals like we do, which may become a problem if you're on the move. You might have to consider bringing a small chilly-bin with you.

**How To Bond: **Just like you needed a Tirtouga to get a Carracosta, you need an Archen to get an Archeops. You can't just click your fingers and have an Archeops appear before you, nor can you buy one. You simply have to be patient and endure the tedious years of caring for a mischievous Archen before you can reap the rewards of having an Archeops.

Due to that, Archeops will already be well acquainted with you, and will most likely consider you a good friend already. That's if you managed to get it under control, of course. If not, you may have to consider visiting a behaviour coach, because it's going to be harder to get Archeops to behave this time around!

It will need a place where it can take off for flight whenever it wants to, meaning you may have to clear some space in your backyard. If you're on your Pokémon journey that shouldn't be a problem, unless you're stuck in Castelia City somewhere.

They are a curious species and like to have a lot of freedom, so taking them to places is a really great idea. They don't like being confined to a single place, and doing that will compromise the relationship you currently share.

Despite having a penchant for adventure, they are quite a relaxed species and are more than content to sit back and enjoy life peacefully. If you can share that lifestyle with Archeops, it will greatly appreciate it.

**Battling: **Archeops is certainly risky to use in battle. It's fast and strong, yet frail and undependable. It won't last out there for long without some thought-out strategy, and it really needs to be used by someone experienced in battling. The worst part about Archeops is its only ability; Defeatist. Whenever Archeops gets overwhelmed or injured in battle it becomes panicked and discouraged, allowing its own emotions to interfere with its capabilities. This only worsens an already bad situation, so it isn't wise to put too much faith in Archeops.

Endeavour is a vengeful move that allows you to use Archeops' vulnerabilities against the foe. This move will damage the foe so they are just as weak as Archeops, discouraging them from inflicting any more damage.

U-Turn is a helpful move for a Pokémon such as Archeops, as it not only deals damage but returns it back to its Pokeball and out of danger. It would be a clever idea to use this move directly after using Endeavour, since you can send out a stronger, healthier Pokémon to fight the helpless enemy.

Dragon Claw is a good Dragon move that does exactly what it sounds like, damages the enemy with dragon-like claws. It may seem strange that Archeops knows a Dragon move like that, but it _does _have some relation to the ancient Dragons.

Thrash is its strongest move, where Archeops mindlessly attacks the opponent without thinking for a period of time. While it does deal a colossal amount of damage, Archeops will become fatigued and confused after exerting itself so much, leaving itself completely open to attack.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It gets along well with its allies; so on Archeops' side things should go fine. Even if you have prey Pokémon like Patrat on your team it will have more self-control than an Archen, but you can't really trust the two to be alone. Older, more competent Pokémon will appreciate having such a skilled hunter on the team, but they might look down on it when it flees in a cowardly fashion.

Some Pokémon may be xenophobic towards Archeops, and see it as a bizarre relic that should not be around. Having a negative attitude like that isn't healthy for any Pokémon team, so you will have to sit them down and talk about how Archeops is a normal Pokémon and should be treated as such.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Despite having good points and being somewhat capable, it has very few things that make it stand out against other Pokémon. There are a lot more other Flying types that are more competent that Archeops, and can serve you better in every way. It does have its own prehistoric atmosphere around it, which I guess could be rather cool. Anyway, it's your choice whether or not you want to restore that plume fossil, so I'll leave the decision to you.

**Next Time… Number 074 Trubbish!**

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**A/N: The chapters about evolved Pokémon are always a lot tougher the un-evolved form. That's because the evolved form is often just a larger or more detailed than before, and has little to make it unique from its un-evolved form. That means I have to work harder to differentiate between the two forms and make the latter interesting. I also have to be careful not to make the latter chapter simply an evaluation on the changes that occur after evolution. **

**That's probably why I like writing about Pokémon that don't evolve; I don't have to worry about what I'll be saying about it in the future.**

**On an unrelated note, Trubbish! I'm aware that it's not a very good Pokémon, and I don't like it either. You have the right to mention you don't like it, but in the next chapter please don't review on about how Gamefreak has run out of ideas or anything like that. This story is about celebrating the Unova Pokémon, not tearing them down.**

**Edit: Yeesh, I just realised that the site has been re-formatting the story... I originally had more space between each segment as to not confuse the two, but it won't let me do that anymore...**

**Fun Facts: Archeops's base stat total matches its National Pokedex number [567]. It is the only Pokémon to do this. This number is also part of the Dewey Decimal number 567.9; the number for feathered dinosaurs.**


	83. 074 Trubbish

**A/N: A big thanks to Rastan for sharing his ideas for this chapter!**

* * *

**Number: **# 074

**Type: **Poison

**Species: **Trash Bag – Garbage Bag

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Yabukuron

**Description: **Trubbish is the reason why the dumping of radioactive waste was made illegal years ago. When the public had discovered that mutant Pokémon had been born from our cruelty to the environment, mass hysteria was sparked in the fear that we would soon be overwhelmed by demonic trash bags from Darkrai's most sadistic of nightmares.

Although it is poisonous and a slight hazard to both humans and the environment, it isn't as terrible as the Kanto mutants Grimer and Koffing. Trubbish is made out of an animated trash bag, obviously filled with trash. Even though it is rather torn up, most of its innards are kept within itself, and thus do not normally poison the landscape. However, Grimer is made of nothing _but_ pure poison, polluting anything it touches. Likewise, Koffing is a living geological formation that produces poisonous gases, polluting the air constantly.

Trubbish seem to be very aware of the nuisance they can cause, so they keep themselves away from humans and other Pokémon, secluding themselves in already dirty places such as landfills and garbage dumps. Grimer and Koffing on the other hand do what they please, polluting and destroying everything without regard for other creatures. Because of this, people aren't nearly as aggressive towards Trubbish as they are the other two.

Nevertheless, stigmatism against Trubbish is prevalent in humans and Pokémon, and it can't really be helped. When you know that somewhere in Unova hordes of sentient rubbish bags are gathering toxic trash, _and _have a stable breeding population, you can't help but shiver in fear thinking that one day Unova might be transformed into a virulent wasteland. Most of these beliefs are quite inaccurate however, and in some cases are completely the opposite of the truth. For one, Trubbish have no interest in causing damage to the environment; in fact they are very self-conscious and actively try to prevent causing bad events. Additionally, while they do somehow have the ability to breed they do not copulate at the horrifying rate which most people believe they do.

Even though we humans have a very negative opinion of them, the Trubbish look up to us in adoration. Just like how Arceus birthed the world and the concept of life, and how the Mew species indirectly birthed us, we unintentionally gave birth to Trubbish. Due to that, the Trubbish hold us in high regard much like how we revere Arceus and some legendary Pokémon. This species is a very new one, only existing for the last 60 years or so. As a result of that, the Trubbish know very little about the history of this world, particularly anything prior to 100 years ago. This makes them somewhat naïve and deluded in their beliefs about us, as they were not around to witness all of the wars and calamity we caused; unlike many other species that did. In other words they see us as a flawless race with no evil attributes; a dangerously misguided notion.

We have no idea how Trubbish was born. All we know is that radioactive waste secreted into a landfill and in the following week the first Trubbish were seen wandering around the landscape. Juniper's father, Cedric, led an experiment to try and replicate the creation of a Trubbish by exposing trash bags to nuclear waste in a controlled environment, but it was completely inconclusive. No matter how many they times, they couldn't re-create the creation of Trubbish. I heard that Cedric was planning to try it again this year, but I doubt he'd get anywhere.

Trubbish evolution and breeding is vastly different from any other known species. Trubbish seclude themselves away to places such as garbage dumps, but sometimes wander off to other places. Either way, a Trubbish spends most of its time gathering rubbish, or anything else that is edible for a species like this one. It either eats this, or inserts it into its body through tears in its plastic skin. As more rubbish is gathered within itself, it grows larger and larger. Anything that is inserted into its body is exposed to the poisonous material flowing through it, and thus becomes truly apart of Trubbish itself. As it continues to grow, one day the amassed amount of stored poisonous energy will undergo a chemical reaction, making Trubbish swell up obscenely and burst, thus becoming a Garbodor. Most Pokémon have an entirely new body upon evolution, but for Trubbish it simply has a larger version of itself.

They have their own kinky way of mating too. Instead of having a uterus, females have a black trash bag much like the one their skin is made of, and males will have a penis made out of piping or tubes. They re-enact the act of copulation, mimicking it to match the way humans breed. The male funnels a whole load of garbage through its pseudo-cock into the female's pseudo-vagina, filling the vacant bag up with garbage. One it has been filled up, the female ties the knot and the Trubbish baby is instantly born, skipping the stage of pregnancy entirely. And that's how baby Trubbish are made! Are you tearing your eyes out yet?

Interestingly, they don't even need to have sex at all; they can create a baby almost instantly. But after watching their glorious creators the humans make love, they thought it would be clever to copy the notion. That sounds really absurd, but I guess we learnt the same from our ancestors, the other Pokémon species. It is also worth noting that since Trubbish was created by humans and contains no genetic material, it is one of the very few Pokémon in this world that does not contain Mew's DNA.

**Personality: **You would think that a trash bag would be impassive, but Trubbish are actually quite emotional. To Trubbish, there is no such thing as 'a little bit happy' or 'feeling a little bit down' or 'slightly mad'. They're squeaking with happiness and laughing loudly, wailing miserably or jumping up and down in fury. There is no middle ground regarding emotions for these little guys. That's actually quite a good thing as Trubbish are very cheerful and optimistic by nature, and thus are nearly always smiling happily. Having a Pokémon like that around can really lift your spirits, even if Trubbish's stench lifts up last night's dinner.

On the other hand, they can become upset quickly if bad things happen. When this occurs they wail loudly like a new-born baby, a most atrocious noise. You'll learn quickly on how to respond to this and absolve it, lest you be driven mad by the noise. It is rare for a Trubbish to become mad, but when they do you'll know about it. They growl lowly and slap their appendages against hard surfaces, and may even spit little globules of poison to boot. This isn't too much of a problem, as you can simply toss an empty soda can at it to cheer it up straight away. They tend not to brood about things for long.

They are compulsive pack-rats, hoarding every little bit of junk they see. It's normally not a problem, but it can be frustrating if you're simply trying to take Trubbish for a walk and it constantly stops to peel off every trodden piece of gum off the sidewalk. Oh, and I _must _warn you not to take Trubbish into a second hand store. It will probably leave with half of the store inside itself. Anything eaten by Trubbish is poisoned beyond use, so you may find yourself paying thousands of dollars' worth of cheap knickknacks, broken toys and faulty software.

**Lifespan: **A Trubbish only dies naturally once it has fully rotten away. Given that they are made of plastic bags that existed before the concept of biodegradable even existed, they can last for a while. They can constantly replace their innards even if nearly all of it falls out, so all they have to worry about is keeping their thick, plastic skin together. The poison within a Trubbish makes its skin very resilient to damage and can melt the plastic to repair damage, but if has lost too much of itself and does not have enough to move around and collect more, it can do nothing but sit there and wait to either be refilled or rot away in several hundred years' time. And I must scream.

**Diet: **Trubbish is literally just rubbish. Unless it ate roadkill recently there isn't going to be any organs in it at all. Obviously, that means it doesn't need any sort of food to actually live. However, Trubbish both heal themselves and gradually turn themselves into Garbodor by inserting various pieces of trash into themselves, usually through the hole considered a 'mouth'.

So you don't need to but it any food whatsoever, because it can take care of itself. You wouldn't believe how many little lolly wrappers and such litter the streets; Trubbish is going to have a feast every time you leave the house! You can even use Trubbish as a mobile rubbish bin, throwing everything into its mouth rather than searching for a nearby bin. Isn't that convenient?

**How To Bond: **Most Pokémon are content being caught by humans. Some accept begrudgingly, and some fight for freedom to the bitter end. Trubbish behaves like none of these, and accepts capture with fanatically open arms; this stemming from their gratuitous adoration for us. I guess if Arceus appeared on your doorstep and said 'wanna be my little pet?" you'd be happy to oblige too. Because of that, it will happily follow you everywhere and obey you word for word. You don't even have to mistrust Trubbish in the slightest due to that!

Trubbish like to follow the people that litter, so if they see you naughtily drop just one little bit on the ground, they will follow you for quite a while. For that reason they seem to loiter around college students, although their ultimate garbage-devouring skills would be rather helpful if you can't manage to clear your own dorm…

Because they view us like gods stacked on golden pedestals, they wouldn't think anything bad about us at all. That's why one would be caught completely off guard and have its heart crushed should you turn around and abuse it. Seriously, even a mean offhand remark could make Trubbish cry and become depressive, a saddening sight. Releasing it or abandoning it is even worse; its overwhelming sense of abandonment and loneliness will be enough to make it want to tear itself apart. I will say this now: If you plan of capturing a Trubbish, you must be completely aware that you are capturing a toxic trash bag and that will have its repercussions. It can be just as good as any other Pokémon; you just need to work around its faults.

Trubbish often makes friends or display affection by giving pieces of garbage, usually rare specimens. This is seen as an act of open compassion, as they are literally giving you a piece of themselves to hold. So if your Trubbish hands you a soiled diaper, it's not being an ass. It's trying to say 'be my friend please!' or 'I love you master!'

You can also earn Trubbish's undying love by giving it something that looks precious. Take note that it doesn't actually have to be valuable; in fact a 2 dollar plastic jewel will be enough. This act of kindness and the desire to have a close friendship will really touch Trubbish's heart and make it pine for you, not that it does that anyway…

Trubbish is so amazingly loyal that you could dress it up in a cutesy maid uniform and have it run around cleaning the house for you. It would probably eat the uniform, but it's an amusing idea nonetheless

**Battling: **They are a docile species and avoid fighting, so battling one in the wild is a very rare situation. However yours will eagerly battle for you without question. As devoted as it is, Trubbish won't kill another creature. And even requesting such a thing will cause Trubbish to look at you in horror and begin to question whether you truly are the wonderful person it thought you were. It may be driven to murder to protect itself or you, but the psychological effects of that won't be healthy…

As typical of a Poison type, it relies almost entirely on poison to fight foes. It's stats are very well balanced, so aside from poisoning the enemy as much as possible you can try most tactics really, so long as they don't depend on one specific stat.

Poison Gas is just that, poisonous gas released into the air. It only deals damage and poisons the foe if they actually get caught in the gas, so check which way the wind is blowing before giving the order.

Trubbish can also scatter Toxic Spikes everywhere, but beware that it actually has to have eaten some beforehand. You could make some caltrops, or buy some of those horribly sharp metal jack toys. Dear god I stood on so many of those as a kid!

Sludge is just another generic Poison move where poisonous material is vomited all over the enemy. This is a way to really humiliate foes, especially snotty ones. I don't think there's any better way to disgrace a Serperior than showering it in human garbage.

Toxic badly poisons the target, meaning that they suffer more and more from the poison as they succumb to it, making it harder to recover from the effects. If you really wanted to you could start a battle off with this and then keep out of range as the foe gets weaker and weaker.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Trubbish will happily welcome any other Pokémon and get along with them greatly, but the same can't be said about most other Pokémon in return. If they aren't flat out disgusted with Trubbish, they're probably confused, scared or might not even realise it's a Pokémon. This is all due to the common misconceptions that everyone holds about this species. Yes Trubbish is a poisonous lump of trash that could knock everyone out with one burp, but it's a really kind and caring Pokémon and would never think about harming anyone. Once that message has gotten across, most Pokémon would let go of their previous superstitions.

But Trubbish has one sworn enemy; Minccino. Minccino are extreme neat freaks and are compelled to frantically scrub anything dirty they see until it sparkles. Trubbish do _not _like being cleaned, as they feel it compromises their very existence. They will respond with wrathful fury should Minccino put its fluffy tail anywhere near Trubbish. These two just can't co-exist, I'm afraid.

**Warnings: **Even if you find Trubbish to be adorable, it isn't the kind of Pokémon you can just pick up and snuggle. Close contact like that _will _severely poison you, potentially hospitalizing you for a week or so. Trubbish knows of this danger so it wouldn't try anything, so it's up to you to keep your distance.

**Summary: **Trubbish is a filthy, dirty, poisonous trash bag. I hope you knew that when you caught it! Its quirky habits, constant eating and negativity surrounding it make it seem like a bad Pokémon, but it really is a sweet Pokémon that has a larger heart than most biological Pokémon. If you can look past that decrepit, slightly rotting body, then you can find a really great friend. It's not a Pokémon that you can take lightly though, so you need to be well prepared if you plan on marching off to the nearest dump to get one.

**Next Time… Number 075 Garbodor!**

* * *

**A/N: **_**Yeesh!**_** I wasn't expecting the description sector to be so large! It's made this chapter the largest, with over 3,000 words… oh dear. I guess I had so many cool ideas to work with that I didn't want to leave any out. At first I was troubled trying to come up with a good explanation on how Trubbish came to be, but then I decided to simply leave it a mystery. It's nice to leave something behind to speculate about.**

**Also, sorry to anyone who was squicked out by the whole mating concept. It was too amusing to leave out, considering I'll probably never have an opportunity like that again.**

**Lots of people dislike Trubbish, but I particularly don't have too much of an issue with it. It's a totally original idea, and that's probably what caught most people off guard when they first saw it. At the very least it has a better design that Grimer and Koffing.**

**That's another thing I thought I'd mention. Lots of people say that Gamefreak is running out of ideas, and use Trubbish as an example. First of all, Gamefreak is nowhere near running out of ideas. They could easily be producing unique Pokémon in another ten years' time, I'll have you know. Not that I'm trying to start a fight or anything.**

**Anyway, I'm rambling. Here's the point that I was trying to get: Grimer represents aquatic pollution, Koffing represents atmospheric pollution, and Trubbish represents land pollution. Trubbish was the missing component all along! What other kinds of pollution could they base Pokémon on? Radioactive pollution? Light pollution? Thermal pollution? I for one would find that interesting indeed.**

**Fun Facts: Trubbish and Garbodor are the only pure Poison Pokémon introduced in Unova.**

**It shares traits with the Grimer and Koffing families, each being based on a different type of pollution.**

**It is based on a full garbage bag, but may also be based on the fears that some people have that radioactive waste may give birth to undesirable life forms. I have no idea how radioactivity could create new life, but I'm not a scientist, nor a conspiracy theorist.**


	84. 075 Garbodor

**Number: **# 075

**Type: **Poison

**Species: **Trash Heap – Garbage Dump

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Dustdas

**Description: **Physically speaking, Garbodor is simply a larger version of Trubbish. The sole requirement to evolve into Garbodor is to gather enough junk to cram into itself until it swells like a balloon, triggering the chemical reaction required to make it become a Garbodor. Obviously your Trubbish managed to reach that milestone, whether by itself or with a helping hand from you and your Pokémon. Either way it isn't going to be very different from your Trubbish, excluding size.

As a Trubbish, it relied on its tough plastic skin to keep all of its sloshing innards together. If it were to become torn, all of the gathered rubbish would fall out and Trubbish would find itself incapable of moving. However, upon evolving the mysterious chemicals within it react violently, melting and fusing all of the rubbish together into a thick, grey substance. Individual pieces of rubbish can be seen sticking out of it, namely pink house insulation and blue shopping bags. Because this new body is kept together much better than Trubbish, it doesn't have to worry about spilling its guts everywhere.

Even though they have no biological organs, Garbodor has what could be considered an internal system. The very centre or the 'belly' is hollow, and filled up with the poisonous liquid Garbodor could call its life-force. This poison can travel up a small funnel and be vomited up as a weapon, or alternately can pass through the piping that supports the arms and be squirted out. Most Trubbish make it their first priority to find some piping to use as arms, simply because it makes it so much easier to move their arms and gives them the option of using them as poison cannons.

Garbodor are only found naturally within the deepest recesses of dumps and landfills; this way their extremely toxic form does not provide a hazard to the environment. This isn't really needed, as Garbodor does not poison anything unless it physically comes into contact with it, or is exposed to Garbodor's toxin. The only way to expose yourself to this toxin is by being purposefully sprayed by Garbodor, or slicing it open and letting its poisonous contents pour out. Either way, it would be your own fault for instigating a fight with Garbodor, which would be minding its own business deep in the grime.

Even though they have relatively the same amount of stigmatism as Trubbish, Garbodor gets less of the front due to being much rarer and less frequently seen. Evolving into a Garbodor is a really tough thing to do, and most Trubbish fail to accomplish it without external aid. If you think about it, it's quite obvious why. It needs to gather a huge amount of garbage to evolve, yet it frequently loses amounts due to battling or even just walking around while injured. Unless the Trubbish is very resourceful, it might lose as much rubbish as it gains.

**Personality: **As a Trubbish it was very naïve and viewed the world through a very narrow mind-set. Humans were gods, anything who opposed them must be punished, and life is one big happy game!

But now as a Garbodor, it is more mature and thoughtful, being capable of acting independently from humans. They still regard humans as superior creatures, but will not throw themselves at our feet so readily. If you were to attack one, it would retaliate like anyone else would. It would seem their relationship with us is much like how a growing child would think of their favourite hero. As a little kid (Trubbish) your favourite hero (humanity) would appear honourable and perfect, incapable of being defeated and always correct. But as you grow up (Garbodor) you would come to see that they are nothing more than a normal human, with faults just like everyone else. Even though you still respect them, the false pretence of almighty grandeur surrounding them is now gone. Even if you're sad about it no longer seeing you I such a high regard, you should still be grateful. Allowing a Pokémon to reach a more established viewpoint is a clear sign of being a good trainer, and Garbodor will certainly benefit from it.

They are a lot calmer and easy-going compared to before too. They still have that optimistic attitude, but they don't constantly laugh out lough or express it so… exuberantly. They are also quite gentle and always check to make sure that they don't accidentally bump into anyone and poison them. They show deep regret if they happen to poison someone unintentionally. In other words, they could be considered a gentle giant; a poisonous, rotten giant to be more exact.

When angered they make it quite clear, roaring loudly and throwing their arms up into the air, thrashing them madly. The deep hollow cavity within then makes the roars echo, making it even more terrifying. If they're simply frustrated and pissed off, they will stomp about irately for a while before mellowing out, but if they have truly been aroused, for instance their trainer has been injured, they won't stop until the perpetrator has been beaten senseless, and poisoned.

**Lifespan: **Since Garbodor is literally made out of garbage, its lifespan depends entirely on whatever Garbodor eats. How long does it take for a Styrofoam cup to decompose? A million years? Truth be told, Garbodor can theoretically live forever it given the right circumstances. Feed it nothing but banana skins, and it would be dead within the month. Feed it nothing but Styrofoam? It could be wandering around in a million years' time. That isn't the end of it either. Nothing is stopping it from eating _more_ rubbish, so even in a million years Garbodor could eat more garbage to lengthen its life even more. Garbodor is one of the few Pokémon that can technically live forever given the right conditions.

This is highly unlikely however, as every time Garbodor fights; it is prone to losing part of itself in the battle. It could get more rubbish to repair the damage, but there will eventually come a day where Garbodor loses too much of itself to continue living.

**Diet: **Unfortunately, the poisonous liquid within Garbodor uses up some of the rubbish within itself as fuel whenever some is sprayed as a weapon, meaning Garbodor has to regularly eat more rubbish if it wants to be able to use its poison in a fight. This isn't surprising though, a Throh needs to eat to regain energy to fight, so why should Garbodor need to eat to regain strength?

Despite being a big, hulking pile of filth, Garbodor has good self-control when it comes to eating. It almost exclusively eats garbage or useless items, knowing that no-one will miss them. It also does this to help counter pollution that humans cause, something that it is well aware of after evolving. It will eat anything you offer to it, so it's practically a mobile, sentient garbage disposal unit.

If Garbodor is badly injured or desperately needs to eat, it may resort to eating things that wouldn't be considered appropriate. And by appropriate, I mean anything and everything. It will just pick everything around it up and cram it into itself until its hunger has been sated. In this state of starvation Garbodor cannot think clearly and is only acting out of survival instincts; meaning it can provide a threat should you get too close. You should do your absolute best to make sure that Garbodor doesn't reach this critical stage, and that shouldn't be too hard, considering it will eat practically anything.

**How To Bond: **If yours was caught as a Trubbish, you can skip this step altogether. It's already bonded with you closer than you could possibly imagine. Even its new spectrum of thought won't change that. You can continue living on happily with your Garbodor as though it had never evolved at all.

If you caught one deep within whatever filthy pit you found it, then your strategy won't be any different from bonding with a Trubbish. Just keep in mind it won't suck up to you so much as its pre-evolved form would. Be nice to it, feed it well, and give it some plastic jewellery. Any other way of bonding is entirely up to you.

That wasn't so hard, was it? It's a little sad when a Pokémon is so easy to bond with, because it makes it difficult to actually have any suggestions for you. I guess it makes it easier for you though, doesn't it?

Either way Garbodor is certainly simple to bond with. It doesn't require any specific rites or actions to gain its favour, and is content to open its heart to you.

**Battling: **Once again not much is different than before. It still relies on poison to take enemies down, and can fall back into its strong defences to endure any retaliation. Ground and Psychics still prove to be the two biggest threats you could encounter, with Ground types truly being a bane. Garbodor is quite slow, meaning that they could fire off quite a few attacks before Garbodor can get close enough to do anything about it. A Weavile or a Frostlass would make the perfect ally for Garbodor, if you're willing enough to travel overseas to get one.

Typical of Poison types, its movepool remains slender. Amnesia will boost its special defence to shield against Psychics, but don't count on it to win you the battle alone. You'll have to integrate this move with something else to keep the foe on their toes.

Gunk Shot is the strongest Poison type move in existence, and Garbodor can really put this move to good use. With the piping in its arms, it can spray the enemy in a deluge of poison, with the force of this liquid matching that of a hydro cannon. Unsurprisingly this can also poison the foe, leaving them even weaker. This move is really good for dealing with enemies that prefer to stay out of range.

Explosion is the final gambit, a last resort to take the enemy down. As you should know, this move is very dangerous and should only be used in dire circumstances. Lots of people disapprove of this move simply because it causes so much trouble, but it is legal nonetheless. Don't use this move unless you are fully prepared for any bad repercussions that could happen.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Garbodor is going to respect your other Pokémon so long as they do the same to both you and Garbodor in turn. If everyone's willing to get along, then Garbodor isn't going to interfere with that at all. But if someone has a bone to pick with Garbodor, then it won't hesitate to smack them over the head with a rusty pipe, or vomit rotting food scraps up onto them. Its calm most of the time, but it won't let itself be pushed around!

On the other hand it shouldn't be surprising if your other Pokémon are frightened or unnerved by Garbodor. They _are_ fighting alongside a giant heap of rubbish, after all. If they knew it as a Trubbish then things might be easier, but that's not always the case. In most circumstances you're just going to have to devote a lot of time to just getting everyone used to Garbodor. It's a lot to ask from your Pokémon, but most will pull through.

Of course, there are those that just won't be seen dead with such a Pokémon, Minccino being the most prevalent example. It will be at Garbodor's throat all the time no matter what you do, so you'll have to decide which of the two Pokémon you'd rather have. Other high-class Pokémon such as Serperior and Mienshao will turn up their noses too, and aren't going to be convinced easily.

It's worth noting that inorganic Pokémon such as the Roggenrola and Golett families have far less issues with Garbodor, mostly because they don't having worry about being poisoned, since they have to actual organs to poison.

**Warnings: **Don't come into close contact with Garbodor at all. A simple poke will have poison running through your fingertip and throughout your body in seconds. Advise your Pokémon to keep their distance too, unless they don't mind having toxins coursing through their veins.

**Summary: **If you were happy with Trubbish, you'll have happy with Garbodor. There really is almost no change besides size and maturity, so you can only improve should your Trubbish be capable of evolving. Garbodor can't escape the stigma surrounding it, but with a kind and caring trainer supporting it, it can easily overcome something like that. It's not the Pokémon for most people, but there are those that do find a sort of charming appeal about Garbodor and can love it like any other.

**Next Time… Number 076 Zorua!**

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**A/N: Remember in Archeops' chapter when I mentioned how evolved Pokémon are often tougher to write about that their un-evolved forms, normally because they are simply larger versions? Yeah, Garbodor is a prime example. To counter that, I had to use the fact it was simply a bigger Trubbish to justify that.**

**Anyway, while we're on the topic of rubbish, after Zoroark's chapter I'm going to go back and clean up all of the previous chapters, fix spelling and grammar mistakes, add sections like Fun Facts and the like, remove inconsistencies… etc etc. You get the idea. I feel kinda bad tampering with them, as even though I'm improving them I feel like altering them will take away their charm… **

**Fun Facts: Garbodor is the only pure Poison type capable of learning Psychic.**

**It is the only Pokémon to have the Weak Armour ability outside of the Dream World.**

**It's based on a garbage bag bursting with rubbish. The 'ears' on its head could allude to garbage rats.**

**Its name is a combination of garbage and odour. (Or odor if you're American.) **


	85. 076 Zorua

**Number: **# 076

**Type: **Dark

**Species: **Tricky Fox – Evil Fox

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Zorua

**Description: **Lostlorn Forest is a mysterious place, a place where anyone who dares venture finds themselves lost and scared, unable to escape as the sun sets and they find themselves surrounded by innumerable glinting red eyes… Those troubled souls will later wake up to find themselves on the perimeter of the forest, with a single leaf bracelet sitting on their chest. Lots of people always try to document this phenomenon, but attempts always result in failure. If more than one person enters, they will become lost for a short while before finding their way out again, the same thing happening no matter how many times they enter. Enter with a recording device, and you will wake up with it missing. Bring Pokémon with you, and you'll leave the same way you entered. That's right; the only way to experience this phenomenon is to enter Lostlorn forest alone. Even though entering a forest, specifically at night, is an incredibly dangerous thing to do, almost no people are injured. However, some people have gone in never to be seen again, but that will be explained next chapter.

Who's causing all this tricky mischief? Zorua, the Tricky Fox of course!

While an alternate version of its species name is Evil Fox, and it is indeed a Dark type, Zorua isn't inherently evil or malicious. It simply loves to cause chaos and mischief, by playing tricks on all that it sees. This is why it was given the more appropriate title of Tricky Fox, and its old species name has somewhat fallen out of use. After all, it's not good to go around implying a Pokémon is evil when it is not.

But I digress. Back to the point, Zorua and its evolved form Zoroark are the culprits behind all of the events surrounding Lostlorn Forest. This is the forest that they call home, and this species is very peaceful, especially for a Dark type. Due to that, they don't want to be disturbed and wish to live peacefully, far from the prying eyes of humans. A Zorua is too young to properly control its powers, so it is up to the Zoroark to control most of the illusions. But Zorua can at the very least create small illusions, able to temporarily confuse anyone exposed. The entire forest is always under the watchful eyes of the Zorua and Zoroark. This is the only place a wild one can find refuge, so their numbers are far larger than anyone is truly aware of.

The Zorua play together in small groups, and upon finding a human will combine their powers to keep that sole human deluded for as long as they wish. If anything other than just one human shows up, the Zorua will flee and leave it up to the Zoroark to remove this invader. Once the sun sets, a curfew occurs throughout the forest. No-one may leave or enter the forest until the sun rises the next day. The Zorua have so much fun tricking whatever human they caught that they often don't notice the sun setting, until it is too late.

Now that the human is trapped in here, the Zoroark have no choice but to bring it to their secluded village, where the human must stay for the night. Neither the Zorua nor Zoroark hold any ill will towards humanity, and often enjoy the company. In fact, some Zorua purposely trap humans there simply so they have someone fun to play with. If the human turns out to be a bad person, they will be knocked out and imprisoned until the night is through. Once the night is over, everyone uses their powers together to overwrite the humans mind with illusions, erasing any memories of what had happened the previous night. As the human is placed on the fringe of the forest the Zorua happily craft a bracelet of leaves, as a farewell gift to their temporary friend.

**Personality: **Tricky Fox sums up Zorua's personality perfectly. They love nothing more than befuddling hapless people, and trickery is their main game. They spend so much time deceiving others it's all they really know. But they are damn good at it, that's for sure. Both Zorua and Zoroark occasionally leave the forest to wander throughout Unova, taking on many guises along their way. Studies indicate that nearly every Unovan human has been deceived by a Zorua, whether they know it or not.

They are also very playful and energetic, much like a Growlithe, and they spend a lot of their time messing around. But this also makes them naïve, and they sometimes bite off more than they can chew. When cornered or outnumbered by a foe, Zorua will try and use its illusion abilities to confuse the foe even more, possibly angering it and worsening the situation. In most cases they could escape anyway, but most Zorua which have been caught only met their fate since they wanted to stick around and trick the person chasing them even more. They snicker quite a lot as well, it could be considered cute at first, but once you catch on you'll realise it foreshadows impending mischief…

Both their mischievous reputation and their archaic title of Evil Fox has given them quite a bad name, and quite a few people think that Zorua is a bad Pokémon. But that is not the case! Zorua are actually a very caring Pokémon, and they would never have the intention of hurting someone. Pranking someone and injuring someone are two very separate things, and Zorua can easily tell the difference. They know when something has gone too far, and will do everything they can to remedy it. In the rare event that they do accidentally injure someone, they have been very distraught and stuck around until someone came to help, even though exposing themselves to humans is a dangerous thing. This shows that Zorua are more concerned with the safety of strangers than their own, a testimony to their hidden good side.

Just like the vast majority of Dark types, they are also considerably romantic and tend to fall for their trainers, but they do not admit this easily. Should your Zorua fall in love with you it will probably be quite apparent, as it will demand more attention, try and keep the two of you alone and unsupervised, and react with rage should anyone try and interfere. If you aren't the sort of person to find a Pokémon appealing, Zorua will be very upset indeed, but that won't stop it in the slightest. Should you ignore Zorua's pleas of unrequited love, it will disguise itself in the form of whatever you _do_ find appealing in the hopes that you will then pay attention, even if it means disguising themselves as the opposite gender. If a super sexy blonde woman mysterious appears in your bedroom one night, you should act suspiciously.

Even though a lovelorn Zorua's actions are blatantly indicative of their feelings, they will stubbornly deny everything until their last breath. This is because they are secretly scared that you don't return their feelings, and are patiently waiting for you to admit yours before admitting anything. Only then will they stop acting so irritatingly flirty. But chances are you _don't _return their feelings, and since they won't stop unless you do, you're stuck in a perpetual state of being harassed by your own Zorua.

**Lifespan: **A Zorua can easily live up to a hundred and fifty years, meaning that Zorua has one of the longest non-evolved lifespans in Unova, excluding inorganic Pokémon. But most Zorua evolve in a _sixth _of that time, meaning that your Zorua is most likely under the age of 25. It's a little strange knowing your tiny, adorable little buddy is older than you, isn't it?

**Diet: **The Zorua and Zoroark have been observing and learning from the humans for a very long time known, and as a result a majority are capable of doing simple human-esque things. For example, their villages are built at the centre of a large fire pit, and their houses are made out of wood and generally surround the trucks of nearby trees. Reportedly Zoroark often use stone or wooden bowls, can roast Pokémon on a spit above a fire, gather berries in a wooden larder, and a plethora of other civilised culinary tasks. Since the Zorua don't have proper arms like the Zoroark, they usually eat of out bowls on the floor, much like how other Pokémon do.

Even though Zorua is generally content to eat any food in the wild such as berries or cooked meat, it will probably act very finicky in your care just for the sake of pissing you off. You can tell when it's doing it on purpose, because it will snicker when you groan in frustration. In that case, you can just refuse to feed it anything else until it finally submits and eats whatever it is. Please take note that there is a difference between sorting out a fussy Pokémon, and force-feeding a Pokémon. The latter is just cruel, and you have no right to forcefully make Zorua eat whatever you want it to eat. If it's pissing around with you, then it's fine to exercise a little discipline. But if Zorua genuinely dislikes whatever food you're providing, then it won't be hard to find something else to give to it.

**How To Bond: **Zorua really is going to make things tricky. Even if it likes you immediately it will still mess around just because that is what it is born to do. Even if it seems like it doesn't like you, you have to remember that Zorua is just playing around, and it really does care for you. You can confirm this yourself by asking Zorua if it cares about you, and if it stops snickering and starts blushing, there's your answer.

On that note Zorua have a lot of trouble expressing their emotions towards their trainers, so they trick their trainers in certain manners to express their feelings. If it keeps hiding or fleeing from you, it is mad at you. If it keeps on trapping you alone with it, it is lonely and wants attention. If it locks the other Pokémon out of the house it is jealous, and so on and so forth. You'll become accustomed to it and will learn how to read its emotions anyway.

You could go ahead and attempt to skip all this by going right up to Zorua and opening yourself up to it, support it by stating that you're willing to support it no matter what its feeling. Zorua might have to go and think about it for a while, but if it sees that you truly are supportive of it, it will start to open itself up to you. Thanks to this you will endure less pranks and the relationship between you and Zorua will be much more fluid and understanding. Connecting to a Pokémon like Zorua takes skill as a trainer, but if you pull it off you will really reap the benefits of it.

Zorua love to play and they need a lot of freedom to run around. When in the wild it will normally stay as itself, occasionally using its illusions to mess with local Pokémon. But in human settlements it will instinctively take on the guise of a human. All Zorua are taught to disguise themselves in human company to prevent capture, and even after being caught by you this will still ring clear in Zorua's head. This shouldn't be too much of a problem, as Zorua's ability Illusion is legally registered and is permitted to be in use in human establishments. You will have to keep an eye on what Zorua's disguise looks like though, otherwise things will become very hectic should it wander off from you.

**Battling: **Zorua aren't exactly strong, and if anyone were to invade their native forest they would all hide while the Zoroark ran to battle. They always use their ability to confuse foes; since Zorua is a rare Pokémon, very few other Pokémon are aware of its ability and will be very confused as to what just happened. This is Zorua's opportunity to either strike them down or run away. They are quite a zippy little species, but rather frail. Just like most Dark types, Zorua resorts to dirty moves and cheap shots to win the battle.

Should the enemy decide to flee for whatever reason, you can punish their cowardice with a Pursuit. This move deals extra damage to a fleeing target, and will always out speed the foe, no matter how fast they are. It's good for getting in just one hit before they move to safety, or back to their trainer's Pokeball.

Fake Tears is a manipulative move where Zorua bursts into tears and wails miserably, making the foe feel guilty thinking they hurt such a vulnerable Pokémon. As they let their guard down, they are left open and vulnerable for Zorua to leap up and strike them when they don't expect it.

Faint Attack is another rotten move where Zorua approaches the foes in a friendly manner, and then savagely strikes them without warning. You could try and use this alongside Fake Tears; if you're really sure they're a dim-witted sap.

Taunt infuriates the enemy, making them so mad that they will only be interested in attacking Zorua. You could use this move and then switch Zorua out and put a resistant Pokémon in its place, guaranteeing that the substitute Pokémon will safely take a blow for Zorua.

Foul Play, otherwise known as Trickery, uses it enemies own strength against it. The more powerful they are, the more damage they are going to take. If you're up against a Pokémon that Zorua simply doesn't stand a chance against, you could use this move to change that around.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **You can already guess that Zorua is going to throw a spanner in the works of your previously peaceful team. They may be able to put up with Zorua's tricks for a short while, but after a period of time they will burst into rage at the sight of Zorua's smirking face. To make things worse, Zorua have a habit of getting jealous and possessive of their trainers, using their wily ways to separate the other Pokémon from you, often by locking them out of the house at night. Things like that are only going to make matters worse, to the point where things reach a breaking point and someone gets injured.

Zorua can't help the fact it's a naughty critter, but it can tone down on the antics somewhat. If you really value the peace and communal spirit your team holds, then you may have to get on your knee and kiss Zorua's paw in return for it keeping itself in check. Of course it could be tricking you the _whole_ time, but that's part of owning a deceptive Pokémon like Zorua.

Some Pokémon may just get fed up and beat the crap out of Zorua, and after that it will behave a lot better. It often resorts to this, either because the trainer was too incompetent, or because Zorua was too disobedient. It's a rough thing to happen to Zorua, but if everyone benefits from it, then you can't really say it's a bad thing. It _did_ brings its own fate upon itself by being so naughty, after all.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Zorua is a very rare Pokémon that can be difficult to handle, and is suggest to be used by experienced trainers only. While it may make a good friend for a more inexperienced person, they would simply lack the skills required to control and meet the demands of such a frivolous Pokémon. When you catch this Pokémon, you have to remember you're adding a master of deception and deceit onto your team. That isn't going to be all sunshine and sprinkles you know.

Furthermore, Zorua needs both physical and emotional freedom, meaning that it will not go well with a trainer that too busy to play with it, or cannot stop and listen to what Zorua has to say. Having a trainer like that will make Zorua feel pent-up and unloved, something very terrible for any Pokémon to think. Do you really have the time and patience to deal with this adorable little bundle of naughtiness? Think about that before you throw that Pokeball at it.

**Next Time… Number 077 Zoroark!**

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**A/N: We have a kitten named Zorua. He's an absolute little shit. He drives me mad and he doesn't even have the cuteness factor that the Pokémon Zorua has.**

**Anyway, Zorua is a really cool Pokémon, but not as cool as its evolved form. Meh, I'll do Zoroark's chapter tomorrow, I'm too tired to work now. Speaking of which, the next chapter will bring us halfway through the guide altogether. There's still a long way to go before I even need to worry about wrapping this story up though, there's still 78 Pokémon to do!**


	86. 077 Zoroark

**Number: **# 077

**Type: **Dark

**Species: **Illusion Fox

**Gender: **87.5% Male – 12.5% Female

**Japanese Name: **Zoroark

**Description: **Zoroark is Unova's mastermind of trickery and deceit, a professional conjurer of mind-warping illusions, and second to none in tactical warfare. Very few Zoroark are ever seen, much less in the care of a human, and for good reason too.

The majority of the Zoroark species live within Lostlorn Forest, a place where they and they alone rule. Anyone who enters here is subjected to the laws of the Zoroark, and will be punished or merited depending on their actions.

The Zoroark form 'villages' throughout the forest, each is designed in a circular shape surrounding a large fireplace/meeting area. All of the wooden houses the Zoroark live in are built at the base of the many tall trees around the area, with paths or bridges connecting them all. This way the Zoroark can easily travel from building to building, and no-one can be excluded from the rest of the community. These villages are usually spaced out with about a kilometre in-between each one, but are thoroughly disguised thanks to Zoroark's illusions. A clueless human could easily pass through several without even realising it.

This species has a one-sided gender distribution, resulting in one female for every seven males. Zoroark villages usually hold around forty members, and amongst that you will normally find only five females. Due to this they are high in demand and only leaders or the strongest, most influential males may have one as their mate. And since Zoroark mate for life, this means that around thirty males, roughly 75% of the population, will never be able to produce babies. This also results in baby Zorua being very rare, as a female may only bear a child every three years. Unsurprisingly, same-sex couples are tremendously more prevalent than heterosexual couples. Since their mate is permanent and will be around with them for the next few hundred years, they spend a very long period of time trying to find the 'right' one.

Due to this species habit of occasionally wandering throughout Unova in disguise, they have become capable of integrating into human society seamlessly, not sticking out in the slightest. They have gathered a vast amount of knowledge on human technology, and are capable of manipulating many machines, devices and tools. Furthermore they apply these to their own villages, making the Zoroark one of the most, if not _the_ most civilised Pokémon species in Unova.

For example, Zoroark use bowls and plates for their food, always cook their meat on a spit roast, and build wheelbarrows or carts to wheel heavy objects around. They have even been known to operate complicated items such as radios, so they can check the weather, refrigerators to keep meat fresh, and some villages even have a basic power system with generators and lights. A backpacker said they even found a handheld gaming console lying on the ground, with evidence showing that the Zoroark _knew _how to actually play the game. It's been implied that Zoroark can potentially become as technically advanced as humans, if given the opportunity.

But Zoroark's true talent is illusions, where it can deceive even thousands of people simultaneously. The meaning of 'Illusion' can range immensely; it could simply include changing their own appearance, or concealing an entire building, or anything else. It would seem that their powers can only extend up to 20 metres before details start to fade. For example, Zoroark can easily render a 20 metre sector of a city invisible, and its power _can _extend further than that, but the further it goes to easier it is to see through the illusion. After about 100 metres the buildings would only look partially transparent.

No one has ever been able to explain how Zoroark is capable of making these illusions, mostly because the Zoroark go to painstaking lengths to prevent us from finding out. Some say that Zoroark is psychically projecting the illusions into our minds, making us see what isn't there. But that theory has been disproven, due to the fact that even cameras can be fooled by Zoroark, and a camera obviously doesn't have a mind. Another theory suggested that Zoroark is refracting light much like a Latias does, but this was disproven too; because even in pitch black darkness Zoroark could fool you into thinking you're in a pure white room.

Oh, did I mention that your Zoroark might be capable of telepathy? Yes, that's right; Zoroark is one of the very few Pokémon aside legendaries that can talk to humans the way we talk to each other. This talent is very rare however, and Zoroark who have this ability are respected by their peers. The Zoroark with this ability are usually elected as diplomats and representatives for their villages, and are treated very well indeed.

**Personality: **Zoroark is a far more sensible than before, so you can sigh with relief knowing that you'll never again have to hear that dreadful snicker. But even though it is no longer that troublesome trickster it was before, it still has a mischievous heart and will likely mess around with you occasionally. This is only a display of affection though, and by now it will know very well where your limitations are, so it will never go too far. You would probably appreciate the humour anyway.

Zoroark form very strong bonds with the people around them, and uphold these relationships with the utmost respect. They put the welfare of their comrades before anything else, and anyone who wrongs them should pray for a swift defeat. This is why catching a wild Zoroark is so very difficult, because even if you manage to uncover a village and capture a single Zoroark, you would swiftly find yourself surrounded by an entire angry village of Zoroark, all intent of rescuing their member. Not only that, but reinforcements from surrounding villages will be sent on the nigh impossible chance that you manage to defeat or escape from them.

Even though they are highly secretive and reclusive, Zoroark are actually a very friendly and diplomatic species. Their young Zorua have a habit of trapping humans in the forest until dusk where their curfew begins, and after thoroughly scolding the Zorua the Zoroark will welcome the human into their village, where they will be offered food, a place to sleep, and will be treated as one of their own. They strive to be hospitable and amiable, and they insist that most humans who visit enjoy their time. For the safety of their people, the Zoroark will cloud the human's memories in illusion, before placing their sleeping body on the edge of the forest, safe to return to civilisation.

The issue is, some people enjoy their time _too _much. Remember last chapter when I told you that some people go missing, never to return? That's because they liked it so much, they decided they didn't want to leave. Since the Zoroark prevent humans from going to and fro the villages, those who wanted to stay had to stay permanently, and thus those humans became part of the Zoroark society. Furthermore they may even find a Zoroark suitable for a mate, and may settle down into a relationship. Don't even consider getting with a female though, as her entire species' future may depend on her ability to conceive children. Every female Zoroark sees it as her duty to conceive at least two daughters, that way her existence benefits her entire species. Since she can only bear one child every three years, and the chance of those babies being female is slim, she will be hard pressed for many years.

Despite being very friendly they are extremely protective of their friends, and will go to great lengths to ensure their safety, even if it is at the misfortune of others. For example if Zoroark's trainer is injured, Zoroark would seek help first, but if denied help, it would forcibly take whatever medical supplies that person had and return to heal its trainer. They also hold grudges against those who wrong them, and will seek revenge should they ever encounter that person against.

Zoroark are very active at night, especially during the full moon phase. They like to run through the forest under the moonlight and leap across rooftops to stare at the moon. Unfortunately yours will never leave your side, barring it from this simple pleasure.

**Lifespan: **With an average lifespan of four hundred and fifty years, Zoroark has one of the longest lifespans in Unova, excluding legendaries and non-biological Pokémon. Many Zoroark are very wise, as they have been around long enough to witness and learn many things. Assuming your Zoroark evolved from a Zorua, it will probably be around 10 – 30 years of age, meaning it has a long road ahead of it. Since Zoroark value their friends so very much, it will be torn to shreds when you die. It won't be able to forget about you for the next hundred years or so at least

This is made even worse if your Zoroark considers you its mate, because in Zoroark culture when a mate dies the widow/widower is so overwhelmed with the loss of their eternal mate that they give up of life entirely. So be aware that if you plan of taking your relationship with Zoroark that way, you're digging it an early grave.

**Diet: **Zoroark eat in a very civilised manner for a Pokémon, which surprises quite a few people. It will want to eat beside you at the table rather than on the floor like most Pokémon, and will expect its food on a plate. It can and will eat anything a human can, but will expect the occasional piece of cooked meat. They prefer healthy, natural meals and dislike unhealthy foods like takeaways.

In other words, it's no different than having another human mouth to feed. They have quite a voracious appetite though, so you might want to consider buying a larger backpack!

**How To Bond: **Zoroark is a very trustful and caring Pokémon, and if you evolved it from a Zorua it will have unwavering faith in you. All it asks in return for this loyalty is that you treat it with respect, and treat it on an equal level, rather than a subordinate. It sees you as a companion, not a master. Zoroark is a very intelligent species as you will discover, and they don't like being treated like cattle.

In exchange for this simple request, Zoroark will be unwaveringly loyal to you, and will fight to protect you right until its last dying breath. It would probably be happy knowing it died in your name, content it could help its friend to the very end. Take note that few Pokémon would go so far for you.

It is also going to be very protective of you, and if someone were to approach you unexpectedly Zoroark will move in-between the two of you as a security measure. This is usually appreciative, but can become overbearing at some stages. A Zoroark can become stressed if they feel that you are not in safe circumstances, and in this event will stick to you like glue, acting like an overprotective father. As good as its intentions are this can quickly become a pain. If you feel that Zoroark is being pedantic about safety, you can always tell it to calm down. It will respect your opinion and won't disobey, _unless_ certain death is imminent.

I must also remind you that all Zoroark yearn for a mate. Finding that 'one perfect companion' is something all Zoroark dream about, it's just that one piece of their heart that needs fulfilling. Since you're the only person in constant proximity, and the only person capable of fulfilling such a role, don't be surprised if you find Zoroark glancing at you in shy admiration. It won't be up-front like it was as a Zorua and will act more conservatively, but it will still hope that you will return its affection. You could turn around, slap it, and tell it to keep its affection to itself, but that would _seriously _break Zoroark in both mind and heart. Zoroark don't open themselves up easily, but when they do they are really putting themselves on the line. If you're going to turn Zoroark down, do it gently the way you would turn down a schoolgirl asking you out.

**Battling: **Normally Zoroark don't even have to worry about battling. They could easily turn themselves invisible and sneak away, or sneak up and take the foe down in one swipe. In the wild you should now be able to happily continue walking along while Zoroark moves ahead and takes down every Pokémon it sees, leaving only a trail of unconscious bodies to add to the scenery as you walk onwards.

In official battles such tactics are illegal meaning Zoroark has to fight fairly without any use of its power. However, it is still allowed to disguise itself as another Pokémon. It doesn't really matter though, as Zoroark is still a very fast Pokémon that can hit heavily. Unless the foe has a typing advantage against Zoroark they're going to be hard pressed to keep up with Zoroark's assault.

A good tactic would be to make Zoroark come out of its ball disguised as a slow, heavy Pokémon such as Gigalith, and then use Agility. The foe will be thrown completely off balance when they see a looming Gigalith lunge towards them at the frightening speed of a Ninjask. It might be enough to make them faint!

You could also use Embargo, a move that prevents foes from using items, or having items used upon them. Is that Gym Leader trying to use a hyper potion at the last minute? Embargo! Is that trainer trying to heal their paralysed Pokémon? Embargo! Is that Pokémon stronger thanks to a life orb? Embargo! You get the idea.

Zoroark likes to plan ahead, and Nasty Plot caters to that. With this move the user stops to think of a clever and devious plan to defeat the enemy, and with a quick thinker like Zoroark it can put that plan into motion much faster.

Night Daze is Zoroark's signature move, and it is the only Pokémon capable of learning this move. Zoroark are creatures of the night, and in this move all that nocturnal hunting power is released in one big shockwave. Excluding Foul Play, this move is the strongest Dark move in existence, a testament to Zoroark's power. Despite their power, Zoroark aren't interested in fighting and only battle to defend their village or companions, or to hunt for food. So a move of this sort of power is used as a last resort, an explosion of Zoroark's desperation to protect that which is important to it.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Zoroark will act respectfully towards allies new and old, yet hold everyone with suspicion until they prove themselves trustworthy. As a pure Dark type, Zoroark can easily sniff out those with bad intentions and will punish them without mercy in an act of pre-emptive defence on your part. Don't be surprised if the Purrloin you caught yesterday has mysteriously vanished overnight. This is Zoroark's way of making sure bad Pokémon don't inconvenience you, and if Zoroark really went to that length then you should trust it.

Thanks to its protective nature, it will quickly become close to all of the young ones tottering around your team. It can also easily befriend maternal Pokémon such as Audino or Leavanny, as they both share that desire to protect the young. Quite a few species will be quite excited to be on the same team as a Zoroark, as it is very rare for other Pokémon to naturally encounter one.

It shouldn't cause too many problems, and the ones that it does cause are certainly for a good reason. You can sit back while Zoroark runs around 'cleaning up' unwanted members and setting everyone else straight. The only exception to this may be Zoroark's possessiveness and jealousy. It won't appreciate having any Pokémon other than itself close to you, but will concede on your request. But if you've confirmed yourself as its mate, its role as your closest partner will become law, one which it will fight for savagely.

**Warnings: **None!

**Summary: **Zoroark is one of the best Pokémon you could possibly have on your team. It is strong, capable, dependable, loyal to a fault, adoring, affectionate, adaptable, brave, noble, civilised, diplomatic, refined, has a sense of humour, easy to manage and will shield you from any conceivable harm whatsoever. I can't think of any other Unovan Pokémon with all of those traits. In fact, the only Pokémon I could possibly compare it to are Lucario and Gardevoir, which could be considered it's counterparts in other regions. But even then both of those species lack Zoroark's affection and humour.

It's an amazingly rare species, but anyone who has the fortune of training one benefit in every conceivable way possible. If you have one, you should consider yourself extremely lucky! You have one of the greatest Pokémon in your possession!

**Next Time… Number 077 Minccino!**

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**A/N: Heehee~ Everyone loves Zoroark, he's awwwright! 3**

**Seriously though, Zoroark is a really popular Pokémon and I can see why. He's my second favourite Dark Pokémon, bested only by Absol. Granted I judge Pokémon by their cuteness/handsomeness rather than their awesomeness/battling potential, meaning that cute but useless Pokémon such as Spinda/Plulse/Minun outclass strong and awesome Pokémon such as Mewtwo or practically any other tough looking Pokémon. But, I digress.**

**But what makes him so popular? The biggest reason would probably be his design. As you could probably tell, Zoroark is practically a fusion of a Kitsune and a werewolf. Kitsune are popular in Japanese culture, and werewolves are one of the most popular mythological creature in western society. **

**When you make a Pokémon that looks like a lovechild between the two, you know it's going to be awesome. Plus Zoroark has the combination of being cute, handsome, awesome and potentially strong, not to mention having a totally unique and amusing ability. All of this makes Zoroark appeal to Pokémon fans all across the board. Of course he has his haters, but most of those are delusional Genwuuners who can't accept anything beyond the original 151 anyway.**

**On a last note, I was thinking about adding a subsection of the Bonding section, titled as 'Love'. This section would focus entirely on what would happen in the circumstances that the Pokémon in question fell in love with you, and would be separate from the Bonding section. This way, those who don't want to read about romantic Pokémon can happily read the bonding section without it, and those who are interested still get the enjoyment by reading the love section. That would please everyone I'm sure.**

**So, what do you think? Please share your opinion on the matter. Since I'm going back to edit all of the older chapters soon, I could edit it into all of them as well. I guess I also need to go through and answer all of the PMs I've neglected to answer too.**


	87. 078 Minccino

**Number: **# 078

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Chinchilla

**Gender: **25% Male – 75% Female

**Japanese Name: **Chillarmy

**Description: **Minccino could be considered both an opposite _and _a counterpart to Trubbish. While Trubbish could be considered the embodiment of filth, Minccino could be considered the embodiment of cleanliness. While Trubbish is patiently wandering derelict paths picking up rubbish, Minccino is shaking his fluffy booty sweeping up all the filth around his home or his trainer's home. Despite having completely opposite loyalties, they both fundamentally do the same thing.

A Minccino's life revolves around keeping tidy. They cannot stay content or sane if within an untidy area, and will work tirelessly to scrub the place until it is sparkling clean, and unsurprisingly they have an insanely strict routine that they follow like a religion. Firstly they dispose of any trash and move furniture to appropriate places, then go along and sweep up any collected dust with their tail and polish windows. To finish off, they will dip their tail within (clean) water and clean up spills or anything else messy. Some more pedantic individuals may proceed to rearrange fruit bowls, bookcases and cupboards. They are efficient and diligent workers too, and could easily clean up a house twice as fast as a human maid.

Needless to say, this proficient cleaning talent plus their adorable appearance has made them very popular among a wide array of people. You'll find their little faces plastered on nearly every cleaning advertisement, rubbish bin and window cleaner in the nation. Furthermore all cleaning companies big or small employ Minccino; whether it's a sole worker or an entire army. This is mostly because of their skill, but it's also because any company that doesn't employ Minccino is immediately dismissed as incompetent, so employers don't really have a choice but to go and catch some.

They are also popular with single parents and other people who are too busy to clean up their own- Oh. Juniper has one of them doesn't she? Yeah, someone lazy like her would certainly enslave a poor Pokémon to clean up after whatever EVIL experiments she's conducting… Oops, I'm ranting.

Minccino have a deep history with humans, dating back to their rise in popularity in the early 1600's. Back then popularity was a scare and fleeting thing, determined by the ideals of snooty high class people who had nothing better to do but judge people. Many Pokémon and fashion trends rose and fell, replaced immediately by the next appealing thing. But when the lords and duchesses were introduced to the cute and durable little cleaner Minccino, the species was set up to become coddled and pampered for the next few hundreds of years, wanted by every wealthy person. It is believed that these many years of attention and fancy treatment is what allowed Minccino to evolve Cinccino, this is supported by the fact that no Cinccino had ever been seen before that point in time.

As time passed society was disturbed by the effects of the Thirty Years' war, and as a result people threw Minccino aside in favour of stronger Pokémon capable of defending their estates should the war move into Unova. It was then the poorer people took the disowned Minccino into their homes and appreciated their hard work. It's worth noting that once the war ended, Minccino soon became favourable in high society once again, but the lower class citizens refused to give up their precious workers, and relations became tense.

Minccino also have many small hobbies they enjoy, and this has reflected onto human society. Both Minccino and Cinccino love to dance, but while Cinccino loves the elegant waltz Minccino prefers more upbeat styles. If Minccino is in a really good mood, you might find it literally shaking its booty as it cleans the room with its tail.

Due to this they are seen very often at the musical theatre in Nimbasa, hogging the spotlight alongside their evolved form. They have a very fierce competition with other popular Pokémon such as Kirlia and Eevee.

**Personality: ** While not as astoundingly snooty as their evolved form, Minccino are still generally pretentious and tend to look down on dirty Pokémon, but are nevertheless mostly kind. If someone is dirty or snobbish they'll look down it, but won't hesitate to lend a helping paw in a time of need. But once the issue has been resolved they'll dust themselves off and huffily bound away. Some think that Minccino is arrogant, but it isn't. It simply has standards that it needs to uphold with all its vigour. When it really want to be cute, Minccino will look into your eyes with its own warm brown eyes and swish its tail disarmingly.

But what they are most well-known for is their extreme obsession over remaining clean. As they say, 'A clean Minccino is a happy Minccino. A dirty Minccino is a psychopathic angry Minccino'. Who said that, you ask? Me. Just now.

Well, that's not entirely correct. It's true that Minccino become very distraught when dirtied, but they won't become dangerous or anything. A Minccino's fur is highly resistant to grime, so it doesn't really need to worry about getting itself dirty. With just one flick of its tail it can sparkle once again! Instead, it's more concerned with the conditions of its surroundings. It's difficult to remain clean when your surroundings continuously work against that. With that in mind, it won't stop scrubbing everything in sight until the entire area is devoid of any sort of filth. Failing that, it will become agitated and risk suffering a breakdown.

They also tend to be bossy, telling everyone else what to do and expecting them to do it. But Minccino is smart enough to know its place, and won't even attempt to mess with someone stronger than itself. The only time Minccino will step out of line is to protest someone's unhygienic state. They aren't doing it to be mean though, they simply want everyone to be clean, because for them cleanliness equals happiness, so they assume they can make everyone else happy by making them stay clean too.

Overall, as long as Minccino and everything and everyone around Minccino is clean, then it'll be happy, healthy, friendly and kind. It may occasionally snort indignantly at some simpletons, but that's to be expected.

**Lifespan: **The average lifespan of a Minccino is around 27 years of age. That's a moderate period of time for a mammalian like Minccino, but it can last longer if you pamper it enough. On the other hand, Minccino becomes very stressed if forced to live in unhealthy conditions, and this reduce its life by a considerable amount. Minccino will do it's best to keep the place clean, but you and your other Pokémon need to pitch in and help too.

**Diet: **In the wild Minccino usually eat berries and other forest fruits. But in the care of a human, Minccino takes full advantage of the benefits of this and will expect human meals, no different from yours; just like Zoroark. Minccino's clean-freak attitude takes this up to eleven however, as they insist on using human utensils such as forks and knives and have even been known to wipe their faces with napkins. Apparently seeing a small Pokémon like Minccino act so civilly is enough to give any adoring Pokémon fan a heart attack.

**How To Bond: **First impressions are very important with Minccino, and will become the first deciding factor on whether Minccino will stay with you or not. If you first appear to be grubby looking, then Minccino will dismiss you with disgust and run away, even if you've already caught it. But if you appear tidy and promising, Minccino will be happy to stay. They know well that a human house is normally a lot tidier than the wild.

This initial demand is a huge thing to ask, as just with any other Pokémon encountering a wild Minccino is a random event and can happen anytime you're wandering through across Unova, and most people don't have the time or resources to look pleasant all the time, especially when they're trudging through the wilderness. For your sake you should hope that you just happen to be clean when you have the fortune of encountering a Minccino.

Of course when you take Minccino home the first thing it's going to do is assess your living conditions. If you house is already tidy, Minccino will have no problems and settle in easily. But if your house is a tip, then Minccino will flip out, give you a disapproving tut-tut, and get straight into cleaning. It's already come with you all this way so it probably won't ditch you just yet, but if you want Minccino to stay you will really have to work harder to keep things clean.

In terms of dignity, Minccino is a step above average Pokémon, and they like being treated with respect. That means you'll have to treat Minccino more like a furry midget human rather than a Pokémon. That's OK, as some trainers like the idea of having a sensible, civilised Pokémon that is more content to sit inside than play boisterously outside like most Pokémon.

Minccino is rather easy to handle and bond with, just as long as living conditions are sanitary. If you keep clean, Minccino will have no qualms with you at all. If you really want to make it obvious that you care, you could buy an expensive-looking brush and sit down to lovingly brush Minccino's fur. This is seen as an utmost display of affection, and it will speak clearly to Minccino. Plus Minccino fur feels really good to touch.

**Love: **As is unsurprising for such a civil Pokémon, Minccino is another species that frequently fall in love with their trainers. Depending on whether you're happy to be in a relationship with Minccino or not could make this a wondrous thing, or a nightmare from hell.

When Minccino falls in love with you, this is the kind of thing that runs through its mind: 'You're mine, I'm yours, and no one is getting in-between us, my love!' In other words, it's totally devoting itself to you without even asking for consent, and is going to become very upset should you or someone else disagree with Minccino's feelings. If Minccino is getting too pushy with its unwanted affection, you will have to take a stand and confront Minccino directly about it. You will likely shatter its heart, so you will have to fix things up once it's done sobbing under its bed.

If you accept Minccino's love, then it will be very happy indeed and will set about sprucing up the house to celebrate this occasion. You are obviously happy being with Minccino, but I'll warn you anyway; Minccino is going to be more intimate with you than normal. A normal Minccino would simply dust you off occasionally, but your Minccino is going to lovingly scrub you down every time you return home. Oh, and it will insist on joining you every time you bathe. That's right, every time you jump in the shower you'll suddenly find Minccino standing there with the soap and scrubbing brush. And from now on Minccino will be sleeping in your bed, and no one else is allowed to join you two. And it'll make sure you fold the sheets every time you get up in the morning.

**Battling: **Minccino aren't suited to be fighters, and they aren't interesting in fighting either. But yours will gladly fight for you when you ask of it. But that being said, Minccino is relatively weak and depends entirely on its speed to win battles, so you really need to know what you're doing when you send it out there to battle. Unless you're a talented trainer who knows how to form strategies off the top of your head, you should keep Minccino off of the battlefield.

Minccino can work well as a defensive supporter, so moves like Helping Hand, Growl, Tickle, Sing and Charm can all make it easier for your other Pokémon to take the foes down. All you really need to do is ensure that the others keep the foe distracted from Minccino and you're set!

Offensively, Minccino has very few options. The only moves worth mentioning are Swift and Tail Slap. Swift is a highly accurate move that always hits the target, which makes it good to use if the enemy is one of those pain-in-the asses who spams evasion moves such as Minimise or Double Team.

Tail Slap is the signature move of both Minccino and Cinccino, and they take pride in this move. It's a little risky to use though as the amount of times it hits the foe is unpredictable, meaning it could deal a lot of damage, or very little at all. Unless of course your Minccino has the ability Skill Link! It's very rare for a Minccino to have this ability, but when they have it, it allows them to hit the foe as many times as they possibly can, dealing the maximum amount of damage. That takes the luck factor away from Tail Slap and makes it a very powerful move to use!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **As you could easily expect, Minccino judges a Pokémon by their physical state. If they reek and look dirty, Minccino will turn its nose up at them in an instant, and refuse to cooperate whatsoever. But if a Pokémon is tidy enough, Minccino will give its nod of approval.

This dilemma can easily be solved, so long as you can convince your other Pokémon to bathe and tidy up. Once that's done, Minccino will start to overlook its prior dislike. You'll have a real issue on your hand if your Pokémon prefer to stay dirty though…

For this reason Minccino simply cannot be on the same team with a Trubbish or Garbodor. Minccino has an instinctual desire to keep it and its surroundings clean, including humans and Pokémon. Since it is the embodiment of rubbish, Trubbish simply _cannot_ be cleaned, making it impossible for Minccino to relax. It would be like showing a genius mathematician an unsolvable equation, or telling a robot a paradox, or giving an unhatchable egg to a Pokémon breeder. The inability to resolve to the issue will drive them mad.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Minccino is a cute and diligent Pokémon that will keep you and your house spick and span forever. It may not be strong, but it makes up for that through all of the hard work it is willing to do for you. Minccino are popular for good reason, because they are hard-working, adorable, and they are truly reliable! If you need a helping hand, or just someone fluffy to cuddle at night, you can rest assured knowing Minccino is the right Pokémon for you!

**Next Time… Number 079 Cinccino!**

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**A/N: Hey all! My computer was out of action for the last few days, so that's why I haven't been updating or responding to PMs or anything else. It's a real shame too, I didn't even have the opportunity to complete the editing of the old chapters. I forgot how extremely dependent I am on computers and the internet…**

**And thanks to Wish Counselor for his suggestions for this chapter, and I think there was someone else too? I'm sorry! I can't keep up!**

**Did you like the first Love section? When I first asked you what you thought, I was expecting a very loud, angry 'NO!', since this is technically dealing with Pokephilia. So I was really surprised when you all voted in favour of it! **

**Anyway, Minccino is my favourite Normal type, tied in with Zangoose, Furret and Eevee. I have an OC Minccino, but I haven't uploaded my story containing him…**

**I'll be honest, I don't like it's English name. I always use Chillarmy instead, and it was a real mental battle to keep on using Minccino instead. This is because I fully memorized all of the Japanese names of all of my favourite Pokémon such as Chillarmy before their English names were released, and I grew too attached to the Japanese ones so I never used the English ones even when they came out. The only reason I use the English names online is because no-one would know what I was talking about if I used the Japanese ones.**

**On a last silly note, I made a terrible, terrible typo during this chapter. Instead of typing 'poorer people' I typed 'pooper people'. I edited it out of course, but I thought about keeping it in as a joke to see who would mention it first. Rastan? Wiechcheu1925? MewBlade?**


	88. 079 Cinccino

**Number: **# 079

**Type: **Normal

**Species: **Scarf

**Gender: **25% Male – 75% Female

**Japanese Name: **Chillaccino

**Description: **The species name 'Scarf' is a little underwhelming for such a high calibre Pokémon like Cinccino. A more accurate name would be 'Royal Pokémon' or 'Elegant Pokémon' or 'Cleaner-Than-Thou Pokémon'.

At any rate Cinccino is the perfect ideal form that Minccino desires more than anything. As an owner of a Minccino, you will certainly know very well by now that cleanliness is its first most desire, and now after evolving its greatest dream has come true; the ability to remain perpetually clean. You see, Cinccino secretes special oil that runs throughout its fur; this oil prevents any sort of dirt or grime sticking to Cinccino's fur at all, meaning that Cinccino can be submerged in mud and come back unsoiled. Everyone will notice this when you and your little troop of Pokémon all stumble home exhausted and muddy after coming home from a hike, while little Cinccino shuffles in without a speck of mud on its dainty body.

When people hear about Cinccino being covered in oil, they automatically think that Cinccino are oily and greasy to touch but this is not true at all. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The oil that Cinccino produces is very thin, and it spreads evenly throughout Cinccino's fur and soaks into the centre of the individual hairs, rather than stay on the outside. The oil only comes out of the hairs to repel filth, keeping Cinccino tidy. So instead of making Cinccino's fur greasy, it makes it fluffy, luminous, elegant and astoundingly soft to touch. Many trainers have remarked that they have stopped to pat their Cinccino for just a moment, but were so heavily allured by Cinccino's soft fur they found themselves still fondling Cinccino hours later.

As adorable and cuddly as this makes Cinccino, it once had a harsh repercussion. Hundreds of years ago many Minccino and Cinccino were released from their owners as I mentioned last chapter. While all of the Minccino were taken in by the poor people for their hard-working attitude, the Cinccino were shunned for sharing the rich people's snooty attitude, something the poorer people despised. Due to that they had no choice but to wander off into the wilderness and make their home there. At that time Pokémon Poaching hadn't fully been outlawed and was still prominent in some areas of Unova. After a prominent group of poachers discovered Cinccino's soft fur and its clean qualities, it wasn't long before hundreds of Cinccino were killed for their fur, so it could be make into luxurious fur coats and hats. Ironically it was their prior rich owners who often bought these items, without even knowing their origin.

Historically the wealthy estate owners of Unova were very selfish and apathetic people, who had very little regard for anyone besides themselves. But when they found out that their precious Cinccino had been killed for material means, they were very _**very**_mad; to the point where they collectively hired an entire elite militia to hunt down and exact revenge on their fallen pets. Once justice had been served they then hassled the Unovan government to outlaw Pokémon poaching, and they did not stop until every corner of Unova had a strict law against poaching in every form. Some diary entries claim that some lords and ladies visited prisons and educated prisoners on the life and equality of Pokémon. These claims are highly unlikely though, as these were the kinds of people who would never set foot near a criminal.

**Personality: **Cinccino is as hoity-toity as it gets, and the only Pokémon that comes even close to Cinccino in terms of snobby attitude is Mienshao, and even then there's a wide margin of difference. Please note that Cinccino isn't a bad Pokémon, no, no. They only think that they are the most graceful and sexy Pokémon in the world and everyone needs to get on their knees and kiss Cinccino's tiny pink paws.

As a Minccino it was concerned about being clean simply for that reason alone, but as a Cinccino it is very self-conscious and wants to be beautiful constantly within both public and private places. As a result they are very vain and despite knowing that almost nothing can make them dirty, they frequently check themselves in mirrors to make sure they are elegant as can be.

Everywhere they walk they do so with great care and elegance, taking one dainty step after another, head held high, and with one paw placed on their scarf. If they pass someone they don't like, they may huff and look the other way. They also like to stand out and make their presence evident, even though they are generally a quiet species. This is why they hate crowds or busy places, because their presence is drowned out by everything else.

Cinccino also have very strict routines that they follow, and they do not like these being disturbed. A typical Cinccino routine involves getting up at a specific time, eating a specific breakfast at a specific time, participating in daily activities such as dancing, socialising and having tea parties, returning home to bathe at night, and then retiring for the night. They do not only because it makes them appear proficient, but also because it makes them feel safe and secure. This is why they become stressed if these routines are ruined too frequently. If a Cinccino is ever humiliated or is unable to clean itself it will become severely depressed and reclusive, and even though it will attempt to hide its hurt it will be very apparent. If this happens you really need to give Cinccino a hug and comfort it, otherwise it will become very brittle.

A common misconception is that Cinccino are selfish and egocentric. This is completely wrong! While Cinccino excels at not making it evident, they care very deeply for their trainers and become immensely distraught should their trainers life become endangered, and will gladly throw away their elegant appearance in order to rescue or protect their precious trainer. Should someone mock or bully Cinccino's trainer it will retaliate with righteous fury, intent on punishing the perpetrator. Cinccino will start blushing and become flustered if you ever bring it up again, so its best that you keep your gratitude to yourself, unless you really enjoy seeing Cinccino's embarrassed rosy red cheeks.

**Lifespan: **No matter how graceful Minccino acts, it cannot outlast time. Normally Cinccino live to be around 54 years of age, not bad for a Pokémon like this one. The average life expectancy of a human is 62 years of age, but if you're over the age of 14 then you should expect Cinccino to pass on the same time as you. This makes Cinccino a very suitable lifetime pet.

**Diet: **Cinccino now only eats human food, and will turn any unprepared food away with disgust. They treat dining as a very formal matter, they always use utensils and clean their mouth with a napkin after each meal, and politely thank the cook afterwards. They also have a love for tea; each Cinccino seems to like a specific type of tea, ranging from normal ones to herbal ones to fruit ones. Cinccino's love for exquisite tea may knock up your shopping bills by a noticeable amount.

**How To Bond: **It might never admit this, but Cinccino really does love you. In fact you could be considered Cinccino's only weakness, its dependency on your love and affection is the only thing you can use to make Cinccino do what you want. This isn't all that surprising; the more haughty and dignified someone acts, the more they rely on someone else to comfort them and reassure them that someone still loves them. Regardless of how it acts, Cinccino is really going to rely on you in this regard, please don't forget that. If Cinccino turns to you for comfort and you aren't there to support it, it's going to be very distraught and unsettled.

In terms of bonding together, Cinccino prefers stylish indoor events rather than outside ones. They like tea parties or social gatherings, so it you see that there's a BBQ or some sort of get-together, Cinccino would really appreciate it if you dressed up nicely and took it out for the evening. Even if all it does is brag how attractive and refined it is Cinccino will still be delighted. They also love attending things such as movies, plays and musicals, or better yet take part in one. Try and get Cinccino as involved in the showbiz industry as you can!

Cinccino also loves to dance, particularly the waltz. It would love to dance with you, but given its small stature that may prove to be difficult. You might have to get on your knees and dance in one spot and hope Cinccino doesn't think you're slacking off.

Bathing is another activity Cinccino enjoys. Remember last chapter how I mentioned Minccino would always invade your bath time to clean you? Well it's still the same now, except that _you're_ the one cleaning Cinccino! I hope you know how to scrub between those little toes!

**Love: **Cinccino treats romance very seriously, and will expect a marriage proposal at some stage. If you muck around and don't propose soon, Cinccino is going to worry that you don't love it, or that 'there's someone else'.

If you finally work up the guts to pop the question, Cinccino is going to be very overwhelmed emotionally, and after balling like a baby for an hour, it will set about arranging the marriage ceremony immediately. As expected of such a high class Pokémon, Cinccino wants a proper expensive wedding followed by a romantic honeymoon and all that jibber jabber. This event is very important to Cinccino, and it will work painstakingly hard to make this the best time of its life. I hope you know that if you're going to marry Cinccino you're setting yourself up for a long road, but if you do love Cinccino that shouldn't matter.

It is also very clever at using your own affection against you. For example, you probably enjoy snuggling with Cinccino and its irresistibly soft fur. Knowing this, it will tempt you by rubbing its fur against you, and then refuse to let you touch it until you give it whatever it wants. What a sneaky little Pokémon.

And if you plan on getting physically intimate with Cinccino, don't expect to get away with it easily. Cinccino will be expecting scented candles, satin sheets and red rose petals scattered all about the room… You know what? Just give Cinccino a notepad and pen and tell it to go crazy. That saves me the effort of dictating to you your own love life.

**Battling: **When the threat of war loomed over Unova back in the 1600's, everyone threw away their Minccino and Cinccino in favour of what they believed to be stronger Pokémon. While they were correct about Minccino, Cinccino can actually hold its own quite easily. Being elegant does not equate to being weak, you know. Cinccino is rather quick and it can deal a fair amount of damage too, and while its defences are low it isn't intended to fight upfront for long periods of time anyway. It's more of a sweeper than anything else.

Since Cinccino evolves through the use of an evolutionary stone, it learns _no _new moves after evolving. Knowing that it is vital that you ensure that it has leant all of the moves you want it to use while it is still a Minccino, otherwise you will have to resort to buying TMs.

In terms of TMs, Cinccino can learn a huge variety, a common trait of Normal types. Toxic, Hyper Beam, Light Screen, Thunder, Dig, Focus Blast, Thunder Wave, U-Turn and Substitute are all useful moves that Cinccino can use well. Going to the TM store will be like going to the lolly shop!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Every time you catch a new Pokémon Cinccino is going to launch a full out examination of them, determining whether they are suitable for filling a role in your team or not. Should Cinccino deem them unacceptable, it will reject them and refuse to cooperate at all unless you give it a stern talking to. Unfortunately anything that looks or acts dirty or crude is going to earn Cinccino's ire, so you may have a tough time convincing it to let that scruffy Lillipup or that sleazy Purrloin join. The worst issue you may face with Cinccino is that it won't let anyone else become as close to you as Cinccino is, this causes big clashes with other affectionate or devoted Pokémon such as starters.

On the other hand chances are all the other Pokémon you have are going to see Cinccino as some haughty asshole. While they may be correct to some degree, you should try and help them understand that Cinccino is a good person, it's just a little… sophisticated, that's all. Try and involve them in Cinccino's daily activities and see if they enjoy it. That can build a bridge of friendship between them.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary:** Cinccino is a classy, stylish, secretly loving and snuggly Pokémon, and if you have enough patience it is a good Pokémon to have. It's constant refined attitude and expensive demands can strain you and your budget, but Cinccino will not hesitate to throw everything aside in order to make you happy. It may act cold on the outside, but it means that Cinccino loves you that much more. And if you're in a good relationship with Cinccino, it will act openly and with adoration. Cinccino is more for those who just want someone cute to cuddle, rather than a strong battler or hard worker.

**Next Time… Number 080 Gothita!**

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**A/N: I like Cinccino, I really do. I think the whole elegant and fancy demeanour appeals to me, plus it's absolutely adorable and cute! I'd probably never stop brushing his fur. I don't know whether I could cater to his exquisite demands though…**

**Oh, and I finished the first lot of edits! All of the starters have been done, up to Samurott. Feel free to go back and have a look. Besides adding in the love section nothing much else changed. I was surprised to find that there were less spelling errors than anticipated, but there were lots of unnecessary commas to be removed!**


	89. Celebrity Spotlight - Mystery Man Brycen

**Name: **? – (Uses the persona Brycen)

**Japanese Name: **? – (Uses the persona Hachiku)

**Typing Specialty: **Ice

**Gender: **Male

**Description: **Brycen… Icirrus City's mysterious man behind the frozen mask. In reality, Brycen isn't actually his name. He had his name changed long before he rose to popularity, and even now his new name remains a mystery, as he always goes under the stern persona of Brycen. Even though he is well concealed behind his carefully created act, he is very popular with the public.

Like I said just before, Brycen's past is enshrouded in mystery. No documentations exist about his birth, he can't be traced to any family members, no proof of his childhood exists… it's almost as though he suddenly 'appeared' out of thin air. Of course this isn't true; he has just gone to great painstaking efforts to erase any evidence that he has existed beyond a certain point. Whether or not any of his family is still alive is a mystery. No-one knows why he has gone so far to erase his history, and multiple documentaries have been filmed in an attempt to reveal the reason behind this strange behaviour. The most common belief is that he suffered a very traumatic childhood, one so bad that even thinking about it distresses him. So he threw away his past and took on a new life, so he would never have to deal with whatever caused him grief. This still doesn't explain why he insists on keeping his current identity a secret though… does he have an identity disorder?

The earliest sightings of Brycen show that he first appeared in Castelia City, working part time as an actor. Even though he was a very talented actor, no one really gave him credit because he was quiet and foreign. In order to boost his popularity Brycen began to make risky decisions, acting for roles that he was not fully capable of managing. It was that careless attitude that got Brycen severely injured in an action scene, and made it impossible for him to return to the acting business.

Dejectedly he wandered north, until he finally settled down on the outskirts of Iccirus City. It was then that he met Alder, pleading with the champion for some advice on what he should do with his life. What was discussed between the two of them is unknown, but what is known is that Brycen then trekked off to meditate within the icy caves located to the east of the Moor of Iccirus. It is believed that Brycen practised some secret techniques and meditation in order to quell his spirit and become a more capable person. It is also here that Brycen obtained his first Pokémon; a young Cubchoo that took a liking to Brycen quickly.

Several years later Brycen broke out of his hermit life and re-joined society, not as a rash young man, but a stoic, icy warrior. Both he and his Pokémon were amazingly strong and rumour soon spread about this strange man that wore unique blue clothes and mask. Despite seeing him as strange, people quickly took a liking to him. Humans are naturally curious creatures, so when we are presented with something strange, we naturally want to learn more so we can understand it. This is why Brycen is still popular to this day.

It wasn't long before the Pokémon League recognised his power and offered to have him replace the current Iccirus Gym Leader. Brycen happily accepted, claiming that this would help him reach his lifetime goal. Brycen served as a Gym Leader for many years, and turned away many challengers in defeat. Everyone considered him to be the second toughest Gym Leader, bested only by the two Gym Leaders of Opelucid City; Drayden and Iris.

Even though he was doing so well, he suddenly resigned as Gym Leader three years ago, and returned to being an actor at Pokéstar Studios. Directors everywhere happily took him in and the in the following months advertisements showcasing the upcoming 'Brycen-Man Series'. Even though he is such a fantastic actor, he needed a fellow actor, someone to act as his arch-nemesis on stage. And it wasn't until a young boy showed up to fill that role that the movies were able to be produced. I heard that the directors later went berserk when they discovered that boy was the one who would go and save Unova from Ghetsis' second attempt at invading Unova.

**Personality: **Normally Brycen is a very serious and quite man. He rarely speaks unless spoken too, and always acts formal and representable in public. His combination of gentlemanly behaviour and mysterious persona makes the ladies squeal all over him whenever they see him. Even though he never displays it, it's been rumoured this really embarrasses him.

Given how most of his life is an act, it wouldn't be surprising got discover that this whole serious attitude is an act too. He's an intelligent man and he will know well enough that acting cool will garner his popularity well. With a guy like this, you really can't tell. Either way, his stony exterior belies a compassionate man who cares more about others than his own welfare. Brycen claims that his greatest desire is to show people how to develop caring relationships with their Pokémon, and this is the motivation behind him becoming a Gym Leader. By showing everyone how powerful and adored one can become by simply loving their Pokémon, everyone else would be inspired to do the same.

But after Team Plasma spread their belief that keeping Pokémon was wrong and that everyone should release them, many people were heavily disturbed by this, and even after Team Plasma's fall people continued to release their Pokémon or question whether keeping them was morally wrong. To make things worse, all of the members of Team Plasma re-joined the public after their organization fell apart. Knowing that so many criminals had joined the ranks of Unova's citizens, tensions rose and people became paranoid.

Brycen realised that simply being a Gym Leader wouldn't help people start trusting their Pokémon again, nor would it solve the fears of the people. SO after mulling it over, both he and Alder resigned from their positions. While Alder started traveling across Unova holding discussions about Pokémon relations, Brycen returned to his acting career, so everyone would see through his movies that Pokémon and humans need each other in order to be happy. From the very beginning he has only been concerned with brining happiness.

He also seems to have a secret fun-loving side, which is only seen in movies. While normally stoic and quiet, he is full of life and action while being filmed. He isn't afraid to give a cheesy evil laugh and flaunt his cape in order to make his role of Brycen-Man authentic. Perhaps he needs someone whom he can let out all of his hidden emotions to.

**Battling: **Even though he is no longer a Gym Leader, Brycen would be a very formidable opponent to face indeed. Brycen does like to walk around the Pokéstar campus frequently, so if you hang around for a while you may spot him. He always enjoys battling people willing to challenge him, but don't expect him to go easy on you.

What makes Brycen so tough is the diversity of his Pokémon's stats. Most trainers focus of developing on particular stat, and some aren't concerned at all. But Brycen has designed his team so he can be prepared for any strategy. For example, his Beartic has high attack and low defences, his Cryogonal has low attack but high defences, and his Vanillish is well balanced. Brycen has mastered the talent of predicting an opponent's moves, and can apply that to his own strategy. For example if you send out a Pokémon with high attack to take down his Beartic, he would switch his Beartic out and replace it with his Cryogonal, which would soak up all of the damage your Pokémon dealt out. Then he would switch his Beartic back in to finish off your exhausted Pokémon.

There are two ways you can deal with this. Firstly, you could attempt to think several steps ahead and try to interpret his reactions to your actions. Be aware that this sort of strategy is very risky, as he may choose to respond differently from what you assumed. Another strategy involves being completely unpredictable.

When someone attempts to make a prediction about someone's actions, they analyse what that person is doing, and figure out what action would favour the person most. When the most favourable action is decided, the person assumes that the foe is going to take that decision and reacts accordingly. That is the gist of pre-emptive strategy. But if you were to act bizarrely, then Brycen would be unable to determine you next move, throwing his own strategy out of balance. That would give you the opportunity to take him down.

Normally a Fire or Rock type would be sent out to take down Ice types like Brycen's, but his Beartic knows Brine, a powerful Water move that would destroy and Fire or Rock types you sent out. Instead you should invest in some Fighting or Steel types. A Lucario would make a complete mockery out of Brycen's team.

**With Pokémon: **Brycen is secretly a compassionate man, and that compassion revolves around his Pokémon. He cares about them very much and will give up his silent persona to praise them, or defend them. Should you mock them, Brycen will go out of his way to punish you. He thinks that people shouldn't judge a Pokémon by its physical appearance, and in one event got into trouble for fighting someone because they claimed Vanillish 'had a lame design'. Whoever that was were hated by the public for quite a while after that, so they had to keep their head low.

It was with the help and patience of his Beartic that made Brycen who he is today, and for that he is extremely grateful. Beartic is his closest companion and Brycen treats him like a trusty partner. You won't see Brycen without his Beartic at his side or in its Pokeball on his belt at least. A year ago there were allegations that Brycen was actually in a romantic relationship with his Beartic, but investigations were inconclusive. The modern media constantly points fingers and invents outlandish theories about every celebrity though, simply so they can make some money on all of the hype. Due to that, these allegations are more than likely to be incorrect.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Carefree Fisherman Marlon!**

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**A/N: 200 Reviews! Thank you so much everybody! When I first started I wasn't expecting to get even 20 reviews, so this is really amazing.**

** Guest: To answer your question, Yes Cinccino are a largely domesticated species. In fact, they may be the **_**most**_** domesticated species in Unova. That's because they were pampered for a very long time by rich people, and after an entire generation was raised in this fancy way it became part of their natural lifestyle.**


	90. 080 Gothita

**Number: **# 080

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Fixation - Gaze

**Gender: **25% Male – 75% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gothimu

**Description: **Gothita stares. And it stares and it stares and it _stares!_ It isn't called the creepy staring child for nothing.

I'm being serious, by the way. Gothita is well known for its piercing gaze, which never leaves the item or person of its attention until they are no longer visible. And even then it may continue to stare off the way they went, before diverting its attention to someone else. A lot of people are creeped out by this behaviour and tend to avoid Gothita; saying Gothita is unpopular is mostly correct. They also stare at people holding cameras; one day you might take a picture thinking nothing of it, only to notice after it's been developed that there was a Gothita staring at you the whole time. Approximately 58 movie or commercial scenes have to be re-filmed each year due to a Gothita visibly staring at the camera in the background. Needless to say Gothita isn't popular with Pokestar directors.

Gothita has a very large brain, taking up a major portion of its head. In addition to that it has two feeler appendages shaped suspiciously like ribbons placed on each side of its head, which have the ability to manipulate Gothita's own brainwaves; much like how a tuner on a radio can change the radio's frequency. The reason Gothita stares is because it can see something that only it can see. No one knows what exactly Gothita can see, but it is something that other Psychics both human and Pokémon cannot detect. Theories and debates are abounding as to what this mystery thing is, and people can become very divided on the matter.

Some suggest that Gothita is looking at people's aura; but this is unlikely because other aura-sensing Pokémon such as Lucario do not react to the same thing Gothita does. Another group claims that the deceased spirits of people and Pokémon watch over the humans they knew in life, and this is what Gothita is staring at. But this too was debunked for two reasons. Firstly, Ghost types can sense all forms of spirits, and they do not notice what Gothita does. Secondly, Gothita always stares directly at the person in question, not the area around them. Perhaps they are seeing something so eldritch that we cannot comprehend its true nature.

Whatever it is their staring at, it must be either very important or very fascinating for them. Gothita is nearly always staring at it, even when people are sleeping. Video recordings have shown that Gothita often watch their trainers sleep, and are content to sit there for over eight hours and not move an inch, or even bat an eyelid.

Since Gothita has such a prominent brain it is a common belief that this is their source of power, but this is not true. Three months ago Juniper faxed me a research report she had written, showing that Gothita use starlight as their power, but must be under direct starlight in order to 'charge up', just like a solar panel in sunlight. This would explain why they insist on sleeping outside… but I don't really want to believe Juniper's word on it. Is she teasing me?

**Personality: **Gothita are very silent and reserved, they would much rather sit in the background and watch patiently than join in on activities or even be noticed at all. Staring and observing is what Gothita's life practically revolves around. They rarely speak unless spoken too, and even then they may utter a few nonchalant words before continuing to watch in silence. They have a habit of preparing for future events no matter what they are, so they do not have to worry later on. This frees up time that other Pokémon would spend running around frantically trying to prepare themselves. Unsurprisingly Gothita will silently watch them all form the shadows.

Their emotions are not easily affected either. If you were to catch a Gothita and then yell and scream at it shortly after, it would simply stare back at you with blank, uncaring eyes. If it realised that you intended on hurting it, it would flee and find someone else to observe. It wouldn't even be mad or sad that you attempted to do such a thing.

The truth is that you need to bond with it before it will start transmitting emotions between the two of you. It's the same as a car in winter. You can't just switch it on and drive off, you need to heat up the motor before it is capable of moving. Likewise, you need to make Gothita bond with you and make it open to external emotional communication. After that Gothita can be very cheerful and affectionate, and will smile warmly whenever you gaze meets its own. Although it will still stare at you intently.

**Lifespan: **Normally unevolved Pokémon have very short lifespans, and this is because the first evolutionary stage is seen as only a temporary one, as a 'baby' form, to be exact. Since most Pokémon can evolve without too much effort, having a short lifespan isn't too much of a concern. But Gothita has a very surprisingly long lifespan or around 80 years. Compared to inorganic species or special species like Zorua this isn't very large, but it is still a step ahead of most species.

**Diet: **Gothita are content to eat almost anything. They like berries and natural foods as well as human foods, but they consider Pokémon pellets degrading and won't eat them. Since Gothita is too busy staring at your face, it probably won't even notice what you're putting into its mouth.

**How To Bond: **When first catching a Gothita, people tend to think that bond with it will be difficult, but in reality all you need is patience and goodwill. When you first catch it Gothita will seem very callous and superficial, and this will not change even when you act kindly to it. No matter how to you act it, it will simply stare back at you with the occasional muttered 'goth, goth'.

Gothita isn't trying to be insensitive; it simply hasn't come to know you enough to open itself up. But trainers frequently get upset when their Gothita continues to remain unresponsive to their attempts at bonding, and may even become frustrated to the point where they turn on Gothita. Others are actually frightened by Gothita's ceaseless gaze and its unresponsiveness, and in some cases people have become so paranoid that they suspect that Gothorita Is plotting to kill them, and may even try to kill Gothita as a pre-emptive measure.

At the basis of the human psyche, staring is perceived as a potential threat. This is because predators always intently stare at their prey, so they cannot be surprised when they attack. Additionally humans are frightened by things we can't explain, Gothita's staring being a prime example. So even though Gothita is entirely harmless, we still perceive its staring as a threat, as irrational as that is. To make matters worse, we are also scared when someone acts emotionless; especially when the person in question isn't frightened even when you threaten to hurt it. These traits are what labelled Gothita as 'creepiest Pokémon in the world' ten years ago.

But the trick is being patient. Through your first few weeks Gothita may be completely unresponsive, no matter what approach you take. But as the weeks pass, you may find Gothita start smiling or talking or showing other signs of emotion. After that all you need to do is continue to act positive, and things will proceed smoothly. In terms of bonding activities, Gothita doesn't really have any interests. Other than staring all the only thing they like to do is stare at the moon and stars. Man, I am sick of the word 'stare' now.

**Love: **In its current state, Gothita cannot develop emotions deep enough to be considered 'love'. If you really want to move things in that direction, you'll have to wait until Gothita evolves. Gothita _can_ develop crushes on their trainers, but you won't be able to notice. The only indication of this would be an even more intense stare, something which would probably not be welcome.

**Battling: **As typical of a Psychic type it relies on the strength of its mind to fight battles. Since it gains the mental energy to fight through starlight, you will have to make it easy for Gothita to always be outside at night. What's worth noting is that Gothita employs quite a few Dark types moves, especially for a Psychic. As a young Pokémon, Gothita is weak and this is made worse by its typing. At this stage Gothita should be kept in the background and used as a support weapon.

Confusion is a standard Psychic attack which rattles the foes psych. In some instances this may befuddled the foe so much they become confused. Psybeam is simply a stronger version of this move, as it is the same attack but the psychic attack is more 'concentrated' into a beam.

With Fake Tears, Gothita bursts out sobbing pitifully, with the intention of making the foe feel terrible and let their guard down. With a small and babyish Pokémon such as Gothita, it works perfectly well. Embargo is another useful Dark move, which prevents foes from using items or having items used on them. That'll stop those Gym Leaders and their annoying potion spam.

Psyshock is the limit of Gothita's power. This is a move where Gothita literally traumatises the foe's brain, sometimes enough to cause physical damage. You often don't realise the damage your Pokémon are causing, do you?

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Gothita will have no qualms with any of your other Pokémon. Most Psychics are disturbed by Ghost, Dark or Bug company, but Gothita simply stares at them just like everyone else. Gothita _can_ sense an evil Pokémon though, and in these circumstances it will warn you immediately.

Your other Pokémon might be frightened, unnerved or angered by Gothita's ceaseless staring, and might react in the same hostile manner that you could. It is completely up to you to convince your Pokémon that Gothita means no harm, and you really have to lay the law down in that regard. This is usually where things turn awry; because if both the trainer and Pokémon are suspicious of Gothita, that innocent Gothita may find themselves a victim or abandonment, assault or murder.

**Warnings: **As threatening as Gothita may appear, they really do mean no harm. Any bad beliefs that you hold would've been crated in your head out of suspicion or paranoia.

**Summary: **Gothita is a Pokémon that has an unrightfully large amount of stigmatism against it, and despite its creepy gaze and initially emotionless demeanour it is perfectly harmless. Although it is not very strong in its current form, it evolves to become a very powerful and reliable Pokémon that will serve you well. Appearances can be deceiving, and this is greatly appropriate to Gothita. Please don't let yourself be fooled if you plan on catching this mysterious little Pokémon.

**Next Time… Number 081 Gothorita!**

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**A/N: Originally I was going to reveal what Gothita could see, but then I decided it's much better to leave it a mystery and let you guys speculate about it. What do you think Gothita can see? Epileptic Trees go!**

**I personally don't think I could handle a Gothita. I hate being stared at, and emotionless people creep me out. I'd probably end up tackling it out of a ten-story window.**


	91. 081 Gothorita

**Number: **# 081

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Manipulation

**Gender: **25% Male – 75% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gothimiru

**Description: **Praise Arceus! Praise Arceus! Now that Gothita has evolved, you never have to endure its piercing gaze ever again! That's right; Gothorita has decided that whatever it was staring at is no longer interesting. Or perhaps it can no longer see it after evolving? Either way, any sense of paranoia you may have had can be shed off now. Although Gothorita is no longer obsessed with staring, it has now developed an obsession with astrology.

At night Gothorita are very hyped up and pitter patter around on their little feet, eager to go outside. When outside, Gothorita will psychically levitate all the nearby stones and arrange them in a fashion to imitate the stars above. Even though Gothita has its eyes closed the stones will match the pattern above in the sky perfectly. In scale, Gothita's calculations will not be a single light-year, or even a centimetre, off course.

Once the compilation of thee stones is complete, Gothorita will sit among them and meditate subconsciously for the rest of the night. Each night as Gothorita returns to the same place, it will rearrange the stones to match the changes that have occurred in the star patterns in the last 24 hours. If Gothorita cannot stay in one place, (for example if it is traveling with you), then it will compile a new set of stones in each new location. Even on cloudy nights Gothorita can sense where the stars are positioned, and it will stubbornly sit there all night through torrential rain or extreme gales. Its psychic power will hold itself and the stones in place anyway. If Gothorita is in a place where there are no stones, it will become distraught and use whatever alternatives are available. It does this ritual on most nights, but sometimes it takes breaks to do other things.

But why is Gothorita so obsessed with starlight, you ask? Well, starlight is where Gothorita gains its psychic energy. Without that, Gothorita would be incapable of any sort of psychic activity and this is why it places such a priority on being available to harvest it all. But why starlight, do you ask? What makes starlight special? If Gothorita can gain energy from something like starlight, why can't it gain energy from moonlight or sunlight? Or a tanning bed?

Well… The truth is that Gothorita isn't getting its power from the stars. In reality, it is getting power from the creatures _living_ on the stars. Most Pokémon can have their evolutionary heritage traced backed all the way to Mew, because most modern Pokémon have Mew as their initial ancestor. In-between that species and Mew will be lots of other species, which have evolved over time to define that species today. The Gothorita family also descend from Mew, but the species in-between Mew and Gothorita disappeared on Earth long ago, before the Gothorita species had even fully developed. So when the Gothorita family appeared out of nowhere several hundreds of years ago it didn't make any sense. But after all this time, we've finally pieced together the mystery behind Gothorita's sudden appearance on our planet.

Do you understand? The ancestors of Gothorita left Earth and transcended to the stars hundreds of thousands of years ago. Now that Gothita, Gothorita and Gothitelle are among us, their ancestors are through some method, either psychological or technological, are sending them power to use from across the cosmos. But… why?

**Personality: **Gothorita is still very quiet, although that quietness is no longer augmented by a burning gaze. Gothorita are usually seen quietly standing by their trainer's leg, either looking around the area or gazing up into the sky wistfully. It would seem that they are very patient and are more content to follow their trainer's orders rather than make their own decisions. Wild ones keep to themselves and stay away from others, so this is unique. Gothorita are very devoted to their leader and earnestly do their best to be of use. Generally they are rather serious and run about doing business with a straight face. If you were to approach a busy Gothorita the only response you'd elicit would be a blank stare. They aren't overly concerned with the welfare of strangers; their only concern is close friends and leaders.

When angered Gothorita become quite hostile, and will angrily assault the perpetrator until they have wizened up and fled. If they have the gall to remain they should pray that Gothorita shows mercy. It is normally a peaceful and reserved Pokémon, but if crossed they will not hold back. They are also the kind of Pokémon that holds a grudge and will resume their attack should they ever see the same person again. They are quite friendly and cheerful when alone with their trainer or friends though, and they can be seen to be very playful during this time.

Every Psychic type has its own quirk, and Gothorita is no exception. But this particular quirk bears resemblance to a certain Psychic type from Kanto… You see, Gothorita has very strong telekinetic and hypnotic powers. On the nights that Gothorita rests from its ritual, it loiters around the edge of human civilization. With both of those aforementioned powers, Gothorita steals away humans and places them under hypnosis. Then it takes them deep into the forest and plays with them like dolls under the starlight. While these people are nearly always returned safely before dawn, Gothorita seems to have very little concern for their safety and tosses them around with reckless abandon. In very rare events they disappear completely…

**Lifespan: **Gothorita can live for up to 140 years of age, a length of time that is usually reserved for fully evolved Pokémon. Perhaps their celestial ancestry is responsible for this somewhat? Regardless of how this occurs, Gothorita will certainly outlive you unless you caught it while it was already around seventy years of age. This species is another one that is severely distraught by the death of their trainer, so it might be better if you caught an older one; although you probably have no idea how to tell age differences...

**Diet: **It still eats a mixture of both human food and the bounty of nature. Nothing special to see here, folks. Although with its psychic powers it can obtain food more easily, and sometimes it may even discreetly steal food if it is very hungry. If the shop owner catches Gothorita it will probably but it so sleep with hypnosis anyway. Owning Psychic types is fun!

**How To Bond: **Gothorita are surprisingly both trusting and trustworthy, and yours should start obeying you straight away. Many people forget, but our world of Pokémon is a place where might makes right. In the eyes of a wild Pokémon, if the trainer and their Pokémon are strong enough to take you down and capture you, then it's best to follow their command. This is the same reason Nate and that other mysterious person were able to singlehandedly take down Team Plasma both times. Once all your Pokémon are down and the enemy still has his standing, then you have no choice but to submit to their will unless you want to receive harm yourself. Even though Ghetsis had hundreds of human soldiers in reserve, they wouldn't be able to stand up against the potentially lethal creatures we know as Pokémon.

Gothorita won't resent you for capturing it though; it understands this concept quite well and they tend to welcome capture with open arms. The life of a Gothorita is often lonely, and they seemingly have quite a huge interest in humans and human activity. Thanks to that you shouldn't have any behavioural issues. But you need to make sure Gothorita is able to perform its night-time ritual often, otherwise it will become distressed and weak. Getting outside shouldn't be hard, but you might want to consider carrying a bag of stones around if you're travelling.

Its reserved nature and serious face give people the impression that it doesn't care about the trainer, but this is completely inaccurate. They really do care about their trainer a lot, but you need to approach them first before they warm up to you. Even if you greet Gothorita warmly every morning and smile politely, that simple gesture will make Gothorita brighten up a lot.

**Love: **Gothorita is now mature enough to love someone romantically in return, so now you can go ahead with whatever advances you had been holding back. Gothorita will be very happy to accept your affection, and it will make a suitable partner. Please be aware that Gothorita will always want to be closest to you, and it won't take kindly to anyone who is trying to romance you, be they human or Pokémon. If that happens, Gothorita might fling them away with telekinesis.

Other than that, Gothorita definitely will make a dependable soul mate. They are hardworking and determined, and they can support you and faithfully stand by you just like a partner should. Good luck!

**Battling: **Gothorita is now more dependable in battle, but its status as a supporter doesn't change. It has high defences for a pure Psychic type, but it's better that it stays in the background while your other Pokémon leap into the fray. Evolution has not been a kind mistress to Gothorita; it only learns two new moves.

Heal block is really useful in wild battles, because it'll stop Pokémon from healing themselves with restoring moves. It isn't so useful in competitive battle though, as trainers can still heal their Pokémon with items. Embargo would make a useful alternative, and luckily Gothorita can learn it via TM.

The only other move Gothorita learns is Psychic, and you'll be well aware of it the moment Gothorita has evolved. While it makes a useful weapon in battle, Gothorita uses Psychic for many many more mundane things, such as levitating or moving objects around. This move will become a normal part of your lifestyle, and it can really help out! Lots of people capture Psychic Pokémon just for this move's capabilities.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Thankfully Gothorita is a team player, and it will work alongside other Pokémon well. It might not be interested in befriending them per se, but it will cooperate without a word. If other Pokémon show interest in being friends then Gothorita will accept. It won't tolerate annoying or aggressive Pokémon and will exact its revenge, and it will become very mad if they interrupt its little night time ritual. You'll have to have a talk with your Pokémon about Gothorita's limitations.

Unlike most Psychics, Gothorita isn't afraid of Bug, Ghost or Dark types.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Gothorita is a mysterious and intriguing Pokémon that is both strong and reliable, and can back you up with its psychic powers. Having a Pokémon that descended from the stars on your team might sound odd, but there are lots of other Pokémon out there with stranger origins. There aren't any reasons why you wouldn't want to have a Gothorita either, unless you don't like all the space talk.

**Next Time… Number 082 Gothitelle!**

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**A/N: Gosh, I wish they gave it a better name than just Gothorita. I got Gothorita and Gothita mixed up so many times I forgot who I was talking about.**

**The Gothitelle family coming from the stars is a little farfetch'd, but Gothitelle **_**is **_**the Celestial Body Pokémon. (In Japanese anyway) I wonder if Gothitelle is related to Staryu then?**


	92. 082 Gothitelle

**Number: **# 082

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Astral Body – Celestial Body

**Gender: **25% Male – 75% Female

**Japanese Name: **Gothiruselle

**Description: **Gothitelle is a Pokémon that is literally not of this world. Far, far across the cosmos the Gothitelle have travelled, to join us on our small planet isolated in the galaxy. Ever since they first showed up, they have decided to stay and become part of Earth's ecosystem, just like any other Pokémon.

Over the many years multiple generations of children have all been told the same fairy-tale of how and why Gothitelle came to this world. But just like any other fairy tale it was simply dismissed as that, nothing more than a story intended to entertain a child's mind. But seventy years ago a Gothitelle capable of speaking in human tongue stepped forth, revealing that it was all true. Excluding legendary Pokémon, this was the first time a Pokémon itself ever revealed its species' history.

Back when the Mew species was still the most dominant creatures on Earth, Gothitelle's unidentified ancestors left Earth and moved far away, settling within a region of space nearby the Hyades Star Cluster. This entire effort was simply through biological means, no technology was required for special travel. Most species would die after leaving the atmosphere, but being of Psychic origin they could handle it quite well.

Even though they had moved far away, the effects of evolutionary change continued, and thus Gothitelle came into being. Being a creature that came into existence near a star cluster, it is no surprise they have such a close affinity with stars. Their astronomic minds are strong enough to warp the space around them, and through that warped space we are given a glimpse at Gothitelle's home, among the rest of space. According to the Gothitelle the stars reveal to them future events, through the 'language' of constellations, and this is what helped the Gothitelle thrive and supersede their ancestors. A religion was formed worshipping the four major stars in Hyades system, claiming that those four were actually gods who were watching over the Gothitelle species and aiding them through their prophecies of the future.

This religion was devoutly followed by all members of the Gothitelle race, and their lives circled around it. It seems that meeting these supposed gods was their greatest wish, but attempting to go near the stars was considered a blasphemy and outlawed. But when a group of rogue Gothitelle decided to break the rules and head to the stars anyway, they returned revealing that the stars were nothing more than hot orbs in space, and that everyone had been following a false religion all along. Their ancestors never told them about Earth, so they believed they were all alone in the universe.

With the only hope for their race snuffed out, the Gothitelle civilisation fell apart and degenerated into a riotous mess. When you take someone's hope away, when you ruin the thing they believe in, anyone can go from civilised to monstrous in an instant. Thinking that the only thing you've believed in all this time is naught but conjecture can ruin the soul and mind. Even though their religion was a delusion all along, it was what the Gothitelle hopeful and earnest, what kept them kept working hard. Even if they had never found out the truth, it wouldn't have mattered because they would've stayed prosperous. This is why it's important to respect other's beliefs, even if you don't agree with them.

With everything they knew shattered the Gothitelle went off in search of something to fill that gaping hole left by their disproven religion, and on one night they came across Earth, a wonderful place thriving with life and intelligence. For them, our planet was a glorious oasis set alone in the barren realm of dead space. Knowing that, it is hardly surprising that they all flocked here crazily over the next few years, eager to find a role in our world. But the Hyades Star Cluster is over a hundred light-years away… how did they get here so fast?

As excited as they were, they still remained partially secret, not fully revealing themselves to humans until sometime later. At night some children would come running inside talking about the 'tall ladies' in the forest. As is the usual with newly discovered species, there was a massive hype following the confirmation of their existence and this sudden attention scared the Gothitelle quite a lot.

During the past few hundred years Gothitelle has successfully integrated into our world along all the other Pokémon species present, and no one thinks anything of it anymore. But the Gothitelle have never forgotten what happened to them on their home world, nor have they forgotten about the ancestors they left behind. Apparently they still commune with them across the night sky. Even the Gothitelle don't understand how or why they can understand the future through the stars, given that they are just orbs of plasma.

**Personality: **Gothitelle are very serious and very quiet. They are never seen acting loudly or standing up front, and show little emotion on their stern faces. Instead they are seen standing in the background far away from the centre of attention, patiently watching in reserve. In normal circumstances they move and act slowly and smoothly, gliding across the floor with grace. They always nod politely when passing people and are the type to hold doors open or help people with their luggage. They are very responsible with youngsters and take good care of them; while staying strict enough to keep them in line should they act up. In other words, they're a quiet but benevolent species that looks after others as much as themselves. This probably has something to do with their value of life.

Although docile, they are by no means submissive. Gothitelle will assert itself to anyone who challenges it or its trainer, and will administer severe punishment to anyone who declares themselves a threat. Even then they are still elegant as ever, floating forward to give a dark warning. Gothitelle doesn't like beating around the bush when it comes to confrontation, but it doesn't like resorting to unnecessary violence either. But in a desperate attempt to preserve their life or the life of their trainer, Gothitelle will not be afraid to kill any enemies that make themselves a big enough threat. As with most fully evolved Psychic types, Gothitelle's power is enough to destroy a human mind in an instant. But as with all the other Psychics, it will never do this. This is because the three major components of the human mind, knowledge, emotion and willpower were gifts to us from the three legendaries Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf, and it has been said that they will seek personal revenge should any fellow Psychic tamper with these gifts.

Contrary to Gothitelle's reserved appearance, they are a very loving species and care very much about their trainers, more than anything else in the world. They act in complete servitude to their trainer, and get very mad should anyone insult them. After bonding close enough with Gothitelle a psychic bond is developed between the Pokémon and trainer, and Gothitelle will be capable of reading every emotion the trainer feels. Gothitelle may act on an emotion that the trainer would rather conceal. For example if someone makes you very mad but you try and stay calm superficially, Gothitelle will pick up on it and punish the person making you mad.

If anything bad happens to their trainer, Gothitelle gets very upset and blames itself, even in circumstances where it could not help anyway. When sad they cry very loudly, a stark contrast to their normally placid appearance. They frequently get glimpses of the future, although these are usually fleeting and offer little information Gothitelle can use.

**Lifespan: **Being the powerful astral Pokémon it is, it is no surprise to find that Gothitelle will easily surpass 200 years of age without even starting to worry about its own natural death. But domesticated Gothitelle are so devoted to their trainers, they cannot bear to carry on after they have passed away and will surrender themselves to an early death. It really is depressing to see so many species give up on life just because one human died… Is it really worth stunting their lives like this? That was one of the teachings N preached four years ago, and admittedly I somewhat agreed with him.

**Diet: **Gothitelle is just like Zoroark in this regard, it prefers to eat civilly and is nearly indistinguishable from a human diner. They don't use utensils however; as they can simply manipulate the food however they want with their psychic powers. This also makes them useful cooks as they can control an entire kitchen with their mind alone.

**How To Bond: **Gothitelle is an amazingly loving and devoted Pokémon and they follow their trainers blindly, with no regard for themselves. They hold the human species in general in high regard, mainly because we are unique from Pokémon and are more advanced. This devotion is quite contrary to their otherwise conservative agenda.

With that duly noted, Gothitelle will quickly come to like you so long as you act civil and kind. They appreciate gestures of goodwill and intellect and like associating with people of that type. It really isn't hard to bond with this species, as they are very similar to humans. When trying to bond with Gothitelle, you should act like it were a formal teacher of yours or something similar. Going by that formula, you can't go wrong. They love sharing their information on the Universe with people, so you might learn a few things you would otherwise never know.

There is an extreme drawback with bonding with Gothitelle though. As I mentioned before once you have bonded close enough, a psychic link is forged between the two of you, allowing Gothitelle to easily pick up on your emotions. Unfortunately this link also curses Gothitelle with the ability to see your lifespan, counting down like a timer. Upon learning this rapidly decreasing number, Gothitelle is understandable heartbroken, and it breaks down and weeps uncontrollably. It will be really traumatised by this and you will have to lend it some support to get through this. With some guidance and comfort Gothitelle will eventually come to terms with this fate and calm down somewhat. But if your time is running out, then Gothitelle will become inconsolable and break down completely. If your Gothitelle becomes uncontrollably miserable for no apparent reason, you have reason to be scared.

**Love: **Most Pokémon species are generally bisexual, with minorities of gay and straight members to add. But Gothitelle is notable for being a purely heterosexual species, with no exceptions. This is very unfortunate for male Gothitelle, who look very effeminate. It is suggested that you ask Gothitelle what gender it is, instead of assuming it is a female. Doing the latter might earn you a very irked male Gothitelle.

Sexuality aside, Gothitelle make wonderful partners, they don't ask too much besides your devotion and affection, and they are more than reliable. If you need someone who can support you and help you out when you simply can't continue, then Gothitelle is a perfect choice. Most Pokémon have at least a few expectations when entering a relationship, so Gothitelle is compromising in retrospect.

**Battling: **Gothitelle is a _very _powerful Pokémon indeed. It can desroy minds like flowerpots and only refrains from doing so thanks to being under the watchful eyes of the lake trio. Even without that, Gothitelle has both tough defences and high special attack, meaning foes will have to take it seriously is they don't have a typing advantage. Dark types will still be a big concern for you because they will ignore everything Gothitelle can use.

With Telekinesis Gothitelle can keep foes suspended in the air with its psychic power. Having them stuck in the air means that cannot move to avoid attacks and they cannot move to hit Gothitelle either, but if possible they can still fight from a distance. Take note that this will not work on Dark types either.

Gothitelle can also Charm the foe with its illustrious celestial body, making them lower their attack in adoration. This works well with Gothitelle's already high defences. It can also be used to calm down a potentially hostile Pokémon if you'd rather resolve a conflict peacefully.

With Magic Room Gothitelle creates a distorted space where the effects of objects no longer work. If a foe's strategy depends on the use of an item, this can tear them apart. Since this works on all items, things like pokeballs, guns or any other item will not work either. If your Gothitelle was wild when you caught it, you might have learnt this the hard way.

Other than that Gothitelle can learn TM moves of at least nine different types. This makes Gothitelle potentially diverse in terms of typing capabilities and can be adapted to have an advantage over most types.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Gothitelle will be patient initially but will keep a watchful eye on anyone that joins. It will continue to act civil and polite so long as the other Pokémon continue to act respectably as well. But should they step out of line or disrespect either of you two, Gothitelle will teach them a lesson in discipline and proper manners. Gothitelle's serious nature and insistence or keeping order might make it unpopular among younger or opinionated Pokémon.

If the other Pokémon approach Gothitelle in a friendly manner, then it will be kind and hospitable in response. It won't cut them any slack though. Gothitelle would make a good team manager if you don't mind your Pokémon being well regimented.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Gothitelle is an amazing and mystical Pokémon that is loyal, serviceable and powerful. With the power to distort space and see the future with their mind alone it is a Pokémon to be reckoned with, and you will learn a lot of things that only Gothitelle can teach you. They get along with most types of people, but their patience may be strained if you're just an energetic kid. They prefer more mature company. Does the idea of having an interstellar traveller at your side sound appealing?

**Next Time… Number 083 Solosis!**

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**A/N: Patrat through to Liepard chapters have been updated! Liepard is now 100% more kinky! Not much changed beside adding in the love section and the occasional extra comment, but the massacre of many unneeded commas continues.**

**I have mixed feelings about Gothitelle. It's an alright Pokémon with a cool background and interesting design, but its ability to see lifespans is a little disconcerting. **


	93. 083 Solosis

**Number: **# 083

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Cell

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Uniran

**Description: **Solosis is one of the oddest biological Pokémon in Unova!

Humans along with nearly every biological Pokémon in existence are comprised of cells. Cells are the smallest living entities in existence, and they are what make us up to be what we are. Every cell needs oxygen to live and individual cells can do that just fine. But for cells that make up multi-celled creatures like us, every cell cannot get oxygen on its own. To remedy this, we have organs with are devoted to getting oxygen around to all of the cells within our body. On top of that, we have many more organs and body parts all working to do different things, muscles, skin, organs, I could go on and on.

But Solosis is different… It's a cell made of cells! That's right, Solosis is basically an enlarged cell composed on normal sized cells, and functions in a similar fashion. It's comparable to a giant car made out of cars, or a giant pokeball made out of pokeballs. That's strange terminology, but it makes sense anyway.

You see, all of Solosis' cells can obtain oxygen easily unlike us, so Solosis does not require complicated organs such as a heart or lungs for its body to function. It does have a brain however, and this is where its psychic energy is generated. Even though it's registered as a brain, in occasionally behaves like a nucleus too. Since the brain is always the most vital organ it takes up quite a large portion of Solosis' head. Well, its entire body is its head so take makes it the largest part of its whole being! The little yellow swirly thing on Solosis is a cheap replica of an endoplasmic reticulum, but it functions much like a radio transceiver.

Being connected directly to the brain, it allows Solosis to transmit its thoughts into the minds of others, in other words it grants Solosis telepathy! But Solosis is only a young Pokémon, and this does not function fully. You know when you're traveling along the highway with the radio going, and you move out of range of the broadcast the radio starts going fuzzy and you can only pick up on the occasional word? Yeah, Solosis' telepathy is just like that. You'll only hear the occasional intelligent word, and the rest will be impossible to decipher. Fortunately you can always ask Solosis to stop trying to talk. That red diamond on its face isn't a true mouth; it is simply the placeholder for one once it evolves into Duosion.

The only other organs Solosis have are the sexual ones, purely for the use of reproduction. The presence of these organs has really boggled the biologists; since Solosis is simply a giant cell, why must it resort to the complicated process of sex if it can simply reproduce asexually – by itself, like normal cells? In terms of biology, this is one of the main traits beside size that sets Solosis aside from normal microscopic cells. Maybe Solosis decided that getting laid is more entertaining than cloning copies of itself… who knows how the mind of Psychics work.

You would have obviously seen the green blobby goo surrounding Solosis? That stuff isn't actually Solosis itself, this amorphous gel is similar to a normal cell's cytoplasm, and is produced by Solosis to protect its weak body from the harsh world surrounding it. This liquid actually works far better than intended, making Solosis highly resistant to damage and effects of weather. Solosis can merrily float through the harshest of blizzards or the most scorching heat waves without concern for its own welfare. Solosis can filter what goes in and out of its protective sphere, making it capable of altering its immediate surroundings. For example, Solosis can stop air from seeping through yet let water pour in, or vice versa. This way Solosis can get what it wants without worrying about undesirable luggage. This works on all scales of size, meaning that Solosis can easily make itself fully immune to any diseases. Contrary to popular belief, Solosis can actually leave its protective gel sphere, but it almost ever does this because it will feel extremely vulnerable.

In the wild Solosis form flocks that stick close together and work as a sort of hive mind, transmitting information to one another so they all remain aware of their surroundings and everything happening within it. Even though they are very boisterous they keep far from humans, but sometimes huge amounts of them appear out of nowhere and swarm around people just out of curiosity. This can be rather annoying as they all float around aimlessly and interfere with whatever you're doing.

**Personality: **Solosis are both highly active and curious. They float around aimlessly investigating anything that catches their eye, and they aren't afraid to float right up to someone's face just to babble at them using their unintelligible telepathy before floating off again. This is because they have almost no sense of fear; their isolation and gel sphere have made them very apathetic about danger. The only time they show fear is if they have been somehow removed from their gel sphere, upon which they will panicked and will not calm down until they can either get back into it or make another one over time. Threating to take Solosis out of its gel, even in jest, is a very mean and stupid thing to do, and it will ruin the relationship between the two of you.

They have irritatingly short attention spans, and flit about excitedly examining new things only seconds after looking at something else. They seem to prefer instant gratification over delayed, and thus seek cheap thrills and entertainment. This makes them good playmates for children, but not companions for older people. This trait also means that they wander off frequently and require close supervision under their trainer's watchful eye. Solosis also has a playful sense of humour, and likes chuckling hysterically at anything it deems funny. That could be anything, ranging from juggling pokeballs to watching comedy skits to tying your shoelace. They are optimistic and they don't' let anything get them down, a useful Pokémon to have on rainy days.

Although they look like a ditzy species, this isn't entirely true. They are quick thinkers and have astoundingly fast at reacting, and if you were to be attacked Solosis would most likely be the first to realise what's happening and launch an effective response. They usually outsmart others when the need calls for it. When taking things seriously Solosis are more powerful than anyone would consider for an unevolved Pokémon, so it's common for trainers to be amazed when their Solosis unexpectedly takes down a foe seemingly stronger than it. Some people even say that Solosis is the embodiment of obfuscating stupidity.

**Lifespan: **Cells have short lifespans, so it's unsurprising to know Solosis has one too. Five years sounds like an alarmingly short time to live, but Solosis can evolve in the blink of an eye, so there's no worry.

**Diet: **Once again Solosis' status as a giant cell is made evident. Cells need carbohydrates, glucose, amino acids, water and oxygen to survive, along with quite a few other things. Since it is a cell, just like the ones in our body, it practically needs exactly the same foods that we need. It doesn't need everything that we need though, for example it doesn't need calcium, because it doesn't have any bones or teeth. Most things like whole grains, meats, vegetables and some fatty foods will do perfectly. Solosis consumes food by placing it in its gel and slowly digesting it, absorbing all of the tiny particles. It may seem ultra-weird to see Solosis floating around with its food but don't, It's just natural.

**How To Bond: **"Hi, Solosis! I'm [Your Name]! I think you're cool and I want to be your friend!" Just saying that will make Solosis like you immediately. That was easy, wasn't it?

Cells are the simplest living things in existence, and likewise Solosis is incredibly easy to bond with. And that makes _this _section simple in return! Even if you don't actually do anything, just watching you live your normal life may makes Solosis develop an intimate and affection bond with you. So long as you don't bully or abuse Solosis it's a clear path to friendship.

Just makes sure it doesn't float away when you're not looking.

**Love: **Haha. You want to marry a blob.

Sorry, sorry. I shouldn't tease you; fifty years ago it was made illegal to discriminate someone based on their sexual preferences and that includes Poképhiles, regardless of the species they're into. And I really don't want a lawsuit resulting from this book. But, I digress.

Just comes straight out and tell Solosis how you feel, it will understand completely. Normally a Pokémon would stop to think about its own feelings before giving you a response regarding its decision, but Solosis won't see anything wrong with it and will be happy to go with the flow.

In terms of being a partner, Solosis won't be very useful. Since it doesn't have any limbs or body parts whatsoever, in can't really be physically intimate _or _affectionate. But I've heard that Solosis' squishy body feels lovely to cuddle or massage. I think there's some nursery rhyme titled "Wibby-Wobbly Cuddly-Wuddly Solosis" or something absurd like that.

When it has evolved into Reuniclus it is far more capable at everything within a relationship: support, servitude, affection, devotion, sex- er, saxophone instructing… And thus if you're one of those sacred and rare people capable of looking past physical appearances, you can enjoy having your Solosis for now, knowing things can only get better.

**Battling: **Don't be fooled by Solosis' clueless appearance, that bobbly face belies an intelligent mind that calculates at a frightening manner. Not only that, but it's cute and harmless-looking gel shield is strong enough to defend it from a flash flood that would kill any fish Pokémon. They are _scary strong_ and no one realises it, because thy never fight seriously unless someone is in should all be grateful that Solosis isn't the kind of Pokémon to be antagonistic.

Although it is still weak to Dark, Ghost and Bug types, it isn't afraid of them. Being afraid of the foe only makes it easier to win the battle, so this lack of far works in your favour. Don't get cocky though, Solosis is not an invincible hero.

Psywave is a luck-based move, which deals random amounts of damage every time. It's not wise to rely on this move as it may stab you in the back. Solosis is intelligent enough to calculate whether or not it is a safe move to use.

Reflect and Light Screen are going to make it even tougher to damage Solosis, thanks to the solid Psychic walls between them.

Rollout starts of weak and ineffectual, but each time you use it consecutively it gets stronger and stronger, eventually becoming a terrifying move should it hit. Don't ask me how it is a Rock move, given that Solosis has nothing to do with rocks…

Hidden Power is a mystical move that's typing depends on unknown factors. You can never tell how strong or what typing this move will be until you use it, and even then you may be mystified. Rumour has it a man set up at the World Tournament in Driftveil City claiming to have the ability to figure out what typing this move will be for your Pokémon, but that sounds like a scam.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Solosis is cheerful and friendly, and on top of that it probably won't even be concerned with the presence of other Pokémon. The only instances Solosis will have an issue with the other Pokémon is if they attack you or Solosis. It might get a little mad, but it'll forget about that shortly after. Solosis could almost be considered the surfer dude of Pokémon!

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **To summarize Solosis is a cheery, friendly, quirky, cool Pokémon that will give your Pokémon adventure an interesting little spin and spice up your life to some varying degree. If you like steeping away from the norm, or you just want a powerful and dependable Pokémon to have at your side, then Solosis is by all means suitable.

**Next Time… Number 084 Duosion!**

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**A/N: Hehe, last year for my final year in high school I chose Biology class as my sixth subject, only because the only alternative was Calculus. As a result I spent a quarter of the year learning every conceivable piece of information regarding cells and cell reproduction. It was a mighty internal battle not to flaunt all that knowledge in this chapter, but some slipped out. Sorry if all of it went over your head.**

**When I typed 'Poképhile' into Microsoft word, it autocorrected it to 'zoophile'. Given how extremely inaccurate that is, it **_**really **_**pissed me off.**

**Solosis' gel shield thingy makes me think of Aloe Vera lotion. Don't ask me why. I probably would choose Solosis, simply because ditzy = adorable. Well, in this instance anyway.**

**EDIT: I'm a derp. Solosis actually has relatively low defences, but it _is _protected from weather if it has Overcoat as its ability. Remember that what I say in the battling section may not be entirely true to real competitive gaming.**


	94. 084 Duosion

**Number: **# 084

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Mitosis

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Doublan

**Description: **The very existence, or should I say _existences, _of Duosion has caused huge debate throughout the biology, medicine and Pokémon Rights communities throughout the world. Even the most civil of professors become aggressive when this Pokémon is brought up, and continue to debate exhaustively.

When a Pokémon evolves, it simply changes into a different physical form. This change may cause the Pokémon to think or act differently, but for the most part that Pokémon's personality and 'soul' remain unchanged. It's just like if someone had plastic surgery; they would look different on the outside, but nothing has changed to the actual person.

But Duosion is different. What started off as one Pokémon has now become… And that's where things get complicated. You see, Duosion has two brains, with each having individual thoughts and personalities. But no one can decide whether Duosion is actually two Pokémon sharing the same body, or just one Pokémon with two brains. Pokémon rights authorities as well as some professional surgeons insist that it is two Pokémon, and each has equal rights as each other, just like conjoined twins. This means that having a Duosion on your team would technically count for two Pokémon, you would need to register both of them for tournaments, and treat them as individuals.

On the other hand there are biologists who insist that Duosion is simply one Pokémon that has two brains, it should only be treated as one and the second brain does not deserve rights or to be recognized as an individual. Due to the moral nature of this argument people of all demo graphs get riled up about it; and it dredges up a lot of tedious questions.

Could it be considered neglect if the trainer only pays attention to one brain's thoughts and feelings? Would it be morally acceptable to kill both brains if only one needed to be destroyed? Is it wrong if the trainer assists in helping one brain become the dominant one? (I'll explain that later.) If you say that Duosion is one Pokémon, people will call you an unethical bastard, and if you say it is two Pokémon people will call you a delusional bigot. It's a no-win situation for all of us.

But why is Duosion so incredibly different like this? Well, its previous form Solosis was a cell, and its evolved form Reuniclus represents a multicellular organism. Duosion is the link between the two of them, the act of replicating cells! This action is called Mitosis, and it's how cells reproduce. To put it as simply as possible, cells makes copies of themselves and then separate that identical copy from itself, and thus a new cell is born. This explains why Duosion has two brains; Solosis was trying to copy itself while it was evolving!

But this state of coexistence cannot continue on for long. Reuniclus can only have one brain, meaning that one of the brains must die by the time it evolves. Usually both brains share power equally, but when the time of evolution approaches, both brains start competing with each other in order to become the dominant brain, and thus ensure that they will be the brain that Reuniclus will own. Even though this battle is severe, no one can tell what is actually happening; Duosion will still behave as normal. Once one brain has won the conflict, it will start evolving into Reuniclus, and the other brain will become the newly evolved Reuniclus' first meal.

Since both brains have different personalities many trainers end up liking one personality more than another. In some very rare cases trainers will assist in killing off the unwanted personality so they can guarantee that their Reuniclus will behave the way they want it to. While greatly frowned upon, this is completely legal. Either way a brain must die, and choosing which one does won't change that fact.

**Personality/Personalities: **Prepare for trouble, and make it double! The personalities of Duosion vary greatly between each specimen, so this is too broad a spectrum to define on paper. Each will have wholly unique mannerisms and ideals, which may or may not clash with yours, or even each other's. Thankfully Duosion cannot use telepathy now, because each brain is cancelling each other's attempts.

Both brains are quite busy with each other all the time, so Duosion is calmer and quieter than Solosis. Even so it is still quite curious and likes investigating things, although one brain want to look at something else, while the other wants to stay put. When they squabble like this their conflicting attempts and movement make it look like Duosion is having a seizure, which unsettles most trainers at first.

In rare instances the two brains sometimes think the same thought, and when this happens they suddenly become enlightened, although this particular definition of 'enlightened' is subjective. Generally it means they become smarter and stronger by a large degree.

Overall, I can't tell you what Duosion's personality is, it's just too broad. It would be like trying to write a personality description about all of humanity, it's just too broad. Take note that one of the brains will be the 'original' brain, and will be mostly like Solosis was.

**Lifespan/s:** Twenty years is still a short period of time for a Pokémon to live. But just like Mitosis, this stage should be brief and Duosion usually evolves within a year. Sometimes both brains put up such a huge fight that it carries on for years.

**Diet: **It doesn't change from Solosis' diet. Although you _will_ have to feed it twice as much food, because both brains need nutrition to function. The amount of food you have to feed to Duosion is the same amount you would have to feed to two Pokémon of the same size.

**How To Bond: **This is tricky. One of the two personalities will be the same as Solosis' for the most part, and it will remember how nicely you treated it and love you as a result. However, the second personality would have only been 'born' after it evolved, and it will not know anything about you. Due to that it will not share the same opinion with the other personality in regards to you, which may cause conflict; especially if the first personality insists that the other one must like you.

The only way to sidestep this issue is to treat both personalities kindly and equally. Even if you don't think that Duosion is actually two Pokémon, you should treat it as if it were. That way both personalities will feel important and feel better about themselves, _even if one of them doesn't truly exist. _It'll be a little hard to talking to Duosion as though you were talking to two people at once, but you'll get used to it over time. Even if it seems difficult, remember that one of those personalities will die soon anyway, so you only need to put up with it for a short period of time.

**Love: **This is even _trickier!_ Since Duosion only has one body, it's natural to simply act as though it were one Pokémon. Even if it _is, _the second personality isn't going to like that. If you were to make an advance on Duosion, both personalities are going to assume that you're talking to them, and happily agree. If they realise you're addressing both of them, or even worse, only one of them, then they are really going to lose their cool at you. If you really want Duosion that badly, you better prepare yourself for a double-date from hell.

**Battling: **Once again Duosion's willingness to battle depends on each individual. Some will love to battle, others will refuse. Some might agree and refuse at the same time! This can be particularly frustrating if you wanted to have Duosion as a battler.

It still has the same tough defences and extreme resistance to weather, making it a good Pokémon to throw out and soak up all the foes damage while your other Pokémon attack. But Duosion is also an obscenely heavy hitter itself, so by itself it can fill this role too. It's only drawback is that it is very slow, meaning that enemies will certainly get a few strikes in before Duosion can even get close. You might want to pair Duosion with a quicker Pokémon that can distract the foe and let Duosion get in close.

Endeavour is a special move that inflicts damage so the enemy will be in the same condition as Duosion. For example if Duosion is still healthy, it will do little damage. But if Duosion has been beaten bruised and senseless, the foe will too. This is a great revenge move to use just before Duosion faints!

Future Sight also makes a good revenge move. When first used this move does seemingly nothing, and the time spent using this move may make Duosion vulnerable to a pummelling. It may seem useless at first, but later on a great misfortune will befall the foe, guaranteeing that they will receive a reprisal. If you're good at thinking ahead, this move can pay off immensely.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Duosion will be too busy with itself to pay attention to any of the other Pokémon. In the event that it does notice them, it will hover around them to investigate which may annoy your Pokémon after a while. Just yell at it to leave them alone and it should comply. But for the umpteenth time, I can't accurately tell you how it truly is going to act, you need to determine that yourself. I can't give you all the answers, you know.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Duosion is a highly controversial and absurd Pokémon species, and they are totally unpredictable. They are wild cards, _double_ wild cards at that, and no one can say what on earth they're going to be like. It/they are reliable battlers if you can convince them to fight though, but don't count on it.

But if you've had enough with Duosion, you can try and force its evolution early by pitting each of the two personalities against each other, so you can hurry things up and get your Reuniclus. I personally think that's morally wrong, but since it's legal there's nothing I can do about it…

**Next Time… Number 085 Reuniclus!**

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**A/N: Hee~ Were you expecting this chapter to be this dark? It's been a while since I could write something grim, and Duosion was the perfect candidate. It made things really complicated for this chapter though.**

**It's question time! I want to ask you, do you think Duosion is two Pokémon in one body, or one Pokémon with two brains? Do they deserve equal rights? Would you treat yours as separate creatures or as one? And finally, would you help eliminate one personality for any reason?**

**Fun Facts: Duosion has the highest Special Attack of all non-fully evolved Pokémon.**

**It is based on a cell going through mitosis, but it may also be based on an embryo.**


	95. 085 Reuniclus

**Number: **# 085

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Multiplying - Amplification

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Lanculus

**Description: **"Goo baby! Goo baby!" Is what pre-schoolers cry whenever a Reuniclus floats past the preschool on Route 3. Reuniclus may be surrounded in goo, but it is _far _from being a baby.

In order to evolve into Reuniclus, one of the two personalities must have lost or given up in the savage psychic battle waged between the two separate minds. It might have been exhausted, it might have been overwhelmed. Or maybe you convinced it that it was worthless and you wanted the other personality. Either way, it is now gone and Reuniclus has a single brain which has complete control over the whole body, soul and mind. If Duosion's multiple personalities irritated you, then you don't have to worry anymore!

Actually, you might have cause to worry. Since both of those personalities are unique from each other, you may have disagreed with one of their temperaments. Once evolution has occurred there is no turning back, so if you end up with the undesirable persona you're stuck with it. Of course you _could _abandon it and get another Reuniclus or Duosion, but that would be cruel and a waste of all your effort up until now.

Solosis represented a single cell, and Duosion represented a cell undergoing Mitosis; so Reuniclus represents a multicellular organism! Cells are nothing more than living building blocks, each working together to make the larger creature they collectively are to function properly. The larger the creature is, the more complex its biological makeup is, and thus it needs more specialist cells to carry out specific functions. Reuniclus has cells that make a brain, and sexual organs, but other than that it is made of nothing more than generic animal cells. It has no blood, no nervous system, and no digestive tract. It does however have a mouth and vocal cord, although its throat doesn't actually lead to anywhere. This is because all of Reuniclus' cells are close enough to the air itself so they can filter in oxygen without the aid of organs such as lungs or a heart.

This is actually a good thing, because it means that Reuniclus cannot bleed and suffocate, and is tougher in general thanks to its lack of vulnerable organs. The only drawback to this simple form is the lack of legs. Since it has nothing it can move about on, it relies entirely on its psychic power to suspend itself in the air and move about. This psychic action is performed involuntarily just like our heartbeat is, so Reuniclus doesn't actually have to think about it. So long as it has the mental strength to hold itself up like that it'll be fine.

Fortunately; it does have arms made mostly up of the gel that Reuniclus uses as a shield. These pseudo-arms are held up by small clusters of cells that work as support structures, but can also be used to channel psychic energy, as though they were conductive wire. The massive amounts of psychic power coursing through these limbs makes them amazingly strong, and these goo-like appendages are capable of crushing boulders to dust or tossing foes over mountains. And this physical strength isn't even considering Reuniclus' _psychic _capabilities, which are among the best in Unova! Reuniclus may look like a harmless goo baby, but it is potentially a biological super weapon.

**Personality: **Reuniclus is the ultimate ditz of Unova; even the kooky Maractus look sensible in comparison. The only Pokémon in Unova comparable to Reuniclus in this regard would be Ducklett, but they are more clueless rather than ditzy.

It takes hard work and a lot of effort to reach a final evolutionary form, and across their journey to reach this stage that Pokémon will endure and learn many things. Due to that even the most carefree of evolved Pokémon will act with some trace of dignity, as testament to everything they've learnt and done to get this far. But Reuniclus is the complete opposite; instead of acting sensibly it acts like a hyperactive child. It simply can't keep still for one minute and will continue to flit about, prodding at everyone and everything. Their overflow of energy combined with their silly attitude results in one very gregarious Pokémon that acts in an almost infantile manner.

This species is also gifted with the extremely rare ability of telepathy. Additionally, they can speak in human tongue and memorize every word they've ever heard in their life; meaning they have expansive vocabularies. Telepathy is usually restricted to legendary Pokémon, and all legendary Pokémon can use it. It's been said that any Pokémon can learn to speak in human tongue so long as it has a physical mouth and the sheer determination. There have been reports of a talking Meowth around Unova recently, but that is unlikely.

Unfortunately Reuniclus often choose to forgo this gift. They would much rather babble incomprehensively like babies than use this gift, which is a very disheartening thing. Sometimes they yell out the occasional statement; and if dire circumstances call for it they will speak fluently. This is strikingly similar to all of the legendary Pokémon. All of them can speak human or use telepathy with ease, but almost none of them use it at all, bar Reshiram and Zekrom. Do they find human language disgusting?

This is all because of Reuniclus' brain. The sheer amount of psychic energy radiating from it is too much for the actual brain itself to handle, so it disperses pulses of psychic energy throughout the body frequently to ease the pressure. This is why you will find that Reuniclus twitches so often, its body is reacting to the sudden stimuli each time. But this energy can't remain pent up within Reuniclus; otherwise it will become overwhelmed and start suffering from seizures.

Compare Reuniclus to a nuclear reactor. It has to remain cool otherwise it will suffer from a disastrous meltdown. Likewise Reuniclus must remain active or endure a similar fate. Thus Reuniclus keeps itself occupied by constantly moving about and making dramatic gestures. The only time it is not like this is when it is sleeping, where the brain goes into a docile phase. Reuniclus are always found sleeping like rocks, completely motionless. If disturbed they whirr back into life and start moving around again; which could startle you in the middle of the night.

Reuniclus are _very _affectionate towards their trainers. They always want cuddles and snuggles and prefer being handfed rather than eat the food themselves, and they absolutely love playing children games such as puzzles or those toys where you have to put the right shape in the right hole. It seems they find value in the most simple of social interactions. Whenever you are traveling Reuniclus will flit about gawking at everything, but it will never move out of sight and it will return to you frequently, even if it is just to glomp you with its squishy body.

Oh, there's one last thing I have to share with you. Did you know that Reuniclus is the _most intelligent Pokémon in Unova?_ That's right, Reuniclus is not and idiot, nor is it a ditz. Even after shortly evolving its intellect is higher than any human brain could compare. Its developed mind processes things such as calculations and nearby events at a rate so fast it would put a supercomputer to shame. For example if you and Reuniclus went to the bank one day just before a bank robbery suddenly occurred; Reuniclus would have already realised the threat, calculated the most efficient strategy to take the robbers down, and started acting on it before anyone else had even realised there was a robbery. Even the mighty Metagross have to step back and think carefully about how to take down Reuniclus, for it will not be an easy battle.

That's right; Reuniclus' true intelligence hides behind a bright display of naivety and cuteness. As I said Reuniclus value their trainers more than anything, so should you even plan on hurting a Reuniclus' trainer, _you're screwed._

But if Reuniclus is so strong, why does it act like a clueless dolt? It's all about power. When someone is only slightly powerful, they let it get to their head and they become arrogant and foolhardy. When someone has a great deal of power, they understand the consequences of their actions and act with care and responsibility. But then there are those _so_ powerful that they don't' have to worry about acting sensibly or with care, because if an issue arises they can blast the threat into smithereens and carry on unhindered. Reuniclus almost fits into this category alongside Legendary Pokémon such as Mew, Jirachi and Celebi; they simply have so much power they can just obliterate anything they want, and therefore they do not have to worry about acting maturely.

Granted Reuniclus is nowhere near as powerful as the legendaries and there are plenty of Pokémon capable of taking them down; meaning that it doesn't truly fit into that category. When entering battle Reuniclus still has to sum up the foe and decide how to deal with the threat, something the others don't have to do. It's believed that Reuniclus genuinely are free-spirited creatures that prefer acting in a silly fashion rather than a serious one.

**Lifespan: **Intelligence does not result in having a long lifespan, and this is very true for Reuniclus. Even this mighty warrior of wisdom will inevitably meet its end. Sixty five years is still a moderate amount for a Pokémon to live, but for a notable Pokémon such as this it seems like a really short period of time. If you're at least over sixteen when Reuniclus evolves, then it can make a fantastic lifetime companion.

**Diet: **Throughout its entire life its diet will ever change from that of a Solosis. Just keep throwing food in its direction and it'll be happy. It can survive off of a small amount of food to, since there is only one brain. You might have trouble keeping Reuniclus at the dinner table though. Maybe you should set up one of those instant gratification reward charts or something.

**How To Bond: **Reuniclus are undyingly loyal to their trainers and you are the only thing it actually considers valuable; even if you randomly approached it in the middle of nowhere and asked it to be your Pokémon, it would instantly treat you this way. It isn't fully understood why they act this way, but we suspect that Reuniclus are secretly dependable on affection and comfort and so they latch on to their trainers, who are supposed to act that way. This goes to an extreme degree, to the point where Reuniclus will happily kill others should they even imply that they intend on harming you. Reuniclus aren't savage murderers, but tests show they have little regard to life forms outside of their group of friends. Whether or not this makes Reuniclus an overprotective friend or an amoral psychopath is debatable.

As scary as that sounds, Reuniclus is a really caring Pokémon that just wants you love and attention. And if you want to bond with Reuniclus, that's all you need to give to it. Buy lots of boardgames and children's toys and sit down to play with Reuniclus often. It will absolutely love the attention. On top of that it'll want lots of cuddles and hugs, but sometimes it may get a little too affectionate. If it is encroaching on your personal space, you should tell it straight away. Remember, Reuniclus is not stupid. It is far smarter than you could possibly conceive, and it knows everything that you know.

**Love: **Reuniclus is a lovey dovey Pokémon and you're going to realise that straight off the bat. It's going to come onto you alright, with all its gooey affection. Whether you like it or not, Reuniclus is going to smother you with hugs, kisses, perverse gestures, you get the idea. It knows very well that it's acting overtly lustful towards you, but it doesn't care about that. You're its only partner, and it's going to cuddle you forever! For the purposes of this guide the love section is always written under the assumption that you are interested in the Pokémon in question, so I'm sure you'll have no idea with Reuniclus acting in such a manner. Other than confirm the relationship for Reuniclus, you don't have to make any effort. Reuniclus will be making all of the advances on you!

**Battling: **Reuniclus looks harmless, dopey and weak, but the exact opposite is true. It is a fearsome predator and anything that doesn't have a typing advantage is in a lot of trouble and will most likely succumb to Reuniclus' relentless attacks. Reuniclus can dish it out and take it at the same time, making it a fighter worth fearing. Not only that, but its rapid analytic mind can formulate complex strategies which take all present variables into consideration. Trying to outwit Reuniclus is like trying to win chess with just a King and pawn; it's possible, but nigh impossible. You should be grateful that Reuniclus is on your side!

Of course every Pokémon has their drawbacks and weaknesses. Reuniclus may be quick of mind, but its body is slow to move. Foes will normally be the ones to get first blood. On top of that Reuniclus is still vulnerable to Ghost and Bug types, and a battle against a Dark type is hopeless. To remedy that, you could teach Reuniclus Focus Blast, which would put those Dark types in their place.

Dizzy Punch is a standard move that deals extra thanks to Reuniclus' mighty fists, and has a chance at confusing the opponent. If that happens, the match has pretty much been decided.

Heal Block stops the enemy from using healing move but does not prevent items from being used. Good for stopping foes in their tracks. Reuniclus will be able to tell whether or not the foe relies on healing moves, so you should give Reuniclus permission to use Heal Block whenever it decides too.

Psychic is Reuniclus' strongest attack excluding Future Sight, and this is where things get rough. Reuniclus can throw foes around like rag dolls or beat them senseless, just with its mind. Thanks to this move, most battles against wild Pokémon will end before they even start.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Reuniclus will be too focused on you and protecting you that it would seem like Reuniclus isn't paying attention to the others. But in reality Reuniclus is keeping a _very _close on eye them, monitoring their every move and devising plans of disposal should they become a hazard to you. It will stay on friendly terms so long as they do the same, but should they act up they will go missing without a trace.

On the other hand your other Pokémon will never see through Reuniclus' disguise of stupidity, and will most likely disregard him as an idiot. This is perfectly fine for Reuniclus and it should be for you too. So long as they don't take it as an excuse to bully Reuniclus, otherwise they might go missing too… Just tell everyone to respect Reuniclus, even if it is a crazy oddball, okay?

**Warnings: **You don't have any reason to fear Reuniclus. Every other living creature in a one kilometre radius however…

**Summary: **Reuniclus is the smartest Pokémon in Unova, is remarkably strong, and is very affectionate and devoted. With a fearsome creature like this on your team, everything from traveling to Gym battles to doing the dishes will be a breeze. In addition to that it is friendly, carefree and cheery, and it's bright and parky face will certainly pick you up every morning. The only issue would be Reuniclus' habit of removing undesirable company, which you may have to talk to Reuniclus about.

**Next Time… Number 086 Ducklett!**

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**A/N: Reuniclus is super adorable and cuddly, even if it is a goo baby. Or a psychopath. I'm not sure whether I'd like to cuddle it though; it depends on whether it feels cold or moist or something like that.**

**Most of this chapter was my own ideas, but there were references to the Reuniclus from Pokepark 2. I wasn't trying to make Reuniclus evil though, I was going for something ingenious and morally apathetic disguised under a cutesy overtone. Although it doesn't really matter since it is genuinely cheerful and affectionate.**

**I have the word goo baby stuck in my head, almost like a mantra.**


	96. 086 Ducklett

**Number: **#086

**Type: **Water - Flying

**Species: **Water Bird – Water Fowl

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Koaruhie

**Description: **Look into Ducklett's eyes, and know true despair!

Ducklett is perhaps the most annoying Pokémon in Unova. Lakes and rivers are popular places for families and trainers to stop and have lunch; but whenever they see a Ducklett homing in on them they groan, pack up, and leave immediately. Missing out on a yummy lunch is a preferable fate than to putting up with a Ducklett for even a minute.

There are a lot of species of Pokémon in this world which have successfully integrated into human society, or learnt how to coexist beside it. Coexisting means two species living in the same habitat without issue, and they can usually profit from each other's existence. Pidove is a good example of this; it lives in our cities and eats our scraps to survive, but it stays out of our way. Because of that, everyone respects Pidove's presence. Ducklett almost got this right; it lives in the same habitat as us and eats our food too. The only issue is it doesn't do this politely!

Nearly every encounter with a Ducklett will be a bad one. If you have something that Ducklett wants, no matter how insignificant, it will try to take it from you. And even if you have nothing of value Ducklett will adamantly stalk you for no apparent reason at all. It'll stare at you, peck you, rummage through your belongings, splash water at you, drag your bag into mud, and when it's had enough it'll fly away and crap on your face for good measure. It's no wonder Ducklett is one of the top murdered Pokémon in the nation.

They are usually seen within bodies of water within or nearby human settlements. That includes lakes, rivers and ponds, but they will never settle somewhere that is too busy or noisy such as a central city fountain. They also loiter around the four bridges of Unova to a disheartening degree. Not a single pedestrian can enjoy the scenic beauty the bridges offer, because they are too busy nervously eyeing the Ducklett butts circling them above.

Internet trolls are a rapidly growing culture that have been around for only a short period of time, yet have had a prevalent effect on the internet community. But like all communities, there are various types of individuals that do things in different ways. Alongside Purrloin, Zorua and Hydreigon, Ducklett is one of the few Pokémon the trolls have used as their icon. The 'Purrloin' trolls are manipulative people who deceive naïve people and then use that to antagonize them. The 'Zorua' trolls are plain sneaky jerks that insult and trick people for cheap thrills. The 'Hydreigon' trolls are the ones that post blatantly rude and derogatory comments just to be assholes and make people mad. The Ducklett trolls are a little different from the others. They aren't mean, and they don't do anything considerably bad. They are just _really, really, _annoying. They're the kind of people who ask for help on forums and purposely play dumb and use terrible spelling and grammar just so people lose their cool. These guys are considered the most successful type of troll, since they are making people mad yet aren't being jerks.

Fortunately Ducklett cannot always be around to be a pain. Their absolute favourite food is peat moss, which is only found underwater in lakes, bogs or marshes. Due to that they frequently fly there to snack, a few times a week. Thanks to this addiction, those people living near bodies of water may enjoy just a short period of relief during their week.

**Personality: **Ducklett is the devil. Its soft and dopey eyes belie a wrathful soul intent on driving us all to suicide through constant extended suffering! Well, not entirely. Truthfully Ducklett live very purposeless lives. Due to their habitat and simple diet, plus their disinterest in battling and lack of predators, they actually have little to do with their time. So what do they do to fill up all that empty time? Devote it to pissing everyone else off of course!

They have a very blank facial expression and stare very intently at people. When you look back at Ducklett's indistinct facial expression, you can't tell what it's thinking. Is it hungry? Or is it plotting to push you into that meat grinder over there? Because of that people tend to be distrust their Ducklett; especially when it has caused trouble for them in the past. Needless to say Ducklett generally have poor relations with their trainers. It doesn't help that they are impulsive pranksters and troublemakers and can't help but cause trouble for everyone nearby. Did you leave the milk out on the counter? It's spilt on the floor now! Did you leave the back door unlocked overnight? I hope you enjoy cleaning up the remnants of a wild Pokémon party. Did you leave your bills on the table? They've been scribbled on now.

To make it worse, Ducklett will give a loud mocking quacking laughter whenever it sees that you are angry. If you try and punish it, it will fly out of range and laugh at you from afar. Once again it's unsurprising that Ducklett are frequently killed. On top of that they act erratically and bizarrely, doing strange things that don't even make sense. It's almost as if they're actively working against logic, just to say 'screw you!' to Uxie.

**Lifespan: **Thankfully Ducklett don't live past 50 years of age. That might sound mean to you now, but you'll be secretly happy with it soon too. Alternately you could go ahead and help Ducklett evolve into Swanna; which would get rid of that dastardly attitude and earn yourself a patient and kind Pokémon. It'll take a lot of your own patience though!

**Diet: **'PEAT MOSS! GIMME PEAT MOSS! GIVE IT TO ME!' Is what you'd hear every waking moment of your day if Ducklett could speak in human tongue. Hopefully that'll never happen, so we are exempt from that possible suffering. As you now know peat moss is Ducklett's favourite food, and it will beg you for it every day. Unless you live near a bog or can afford to carry a large bag of smelly peat sphagnum around all the time; you're going to have to put up with a _lot _of nagging.

Aside from peat moss Ducklett love vegetables and Pokémon pellets, most particularly bread. In fact if you decide to get rid of Ducklett for whatever reason you can set up a trail of bread crumbs leading far away from where you are heading. While Ducklett waddles away from the little morsels of food, run! And don't stop running until you're miles away from that little troll!

It'll probably find its way back to you anyway, but it was worth the attempt.

**How To Bond: **Well, you'll need a lot of patience to deal with Ducklett. For your first few months Ducklett is going to walk all over you and there's nothing you can do about it besides calmly endure it. Fighting back or punishing Ducklett will only make it retaliate with twice as much vigour, and I can guarantee that Ducklett will last longer than you. With this sort of Pokémon, temporary submission is the only way to make it eventually behave.

Just like trolls, Ducklett will annoy you simply because it gets a kick out of your angry reaction. If you stay calm and don't react to Ducklett's mischief, then it will get bored and start to feel lonely. You can tell when this happens because Ducklett will lose the enthusiasm its naughtiness usually contains. When this happens start acting nicely to Ducklett, and it will quickly warm up to your actions. During this time try and guilt trip it for its prior actions, so it will be unwilling to try them again later. After a few days of this bonding, pull back and refuse to be its friend until it promises to stop being naughty. It should agree to this demand, but if it doesn't do not hesitate to go through with it. You may have to start from scratch again, but it's better than reminding Ducklett that you're a pushover.

After that, Ducklett will start behaving and you can carry on having a nice relationship with it just like all your other Pokémon. All the wild Ducklett that you will pass will be extremely jealous of your Ducklett. It's been said that a majority of wild Pokémon attacks are due to jealousy. They may be jealous because they're lonely, they may be jealous because they want to be taken care of by a human, or they may be jealous because their trainer abandoned them, and it upsets them to see that you actually treat your Pokémon nicely. How well you and your Pokémon treat each other speaks loudly to everyone who can see; especially those with broken hearts.

**Love: **Oh geez, you're better off dating an asylum patient than one of these fellas. Either way you'll find yourself stuck inside an asylum, but taking the first option gives you the opportunity to _leave._

You'll have to befriend Ducklett before you attempt to woo it. Otherwise you're advances will only fuel Ducklett's fire of mischief and dig you a deeper hole. But once you're certain Ducklett isn't out to piss you off any more you can go ahead and ask it out. You're still taking a huge risk though.

I can't say there are any good qualities in Ducklett as your mate; it isn't really reliable or supportive. Unless you're planning on evolving it into Swanna I wouldn't bother with the effort.

**Battling: **Ducklett have no interest in battling, and if you try to make it battle before you bond with it; it will waddle away in disinterest. It isn't going to put its own wellbeing into jeopardy until you can prove to Ducklett that it's worth it. Ducklett is quite a weak Pokémon, and it remains just as fragile when it evolves. It's not the type of Pokémon you'd want to send out into battle unless you're desperate.

Ducklett has low defence and attack, so don't expect it to last long, and don't expect it to deal much damage in that time either. It resists the common Fighting and Fire types but has a crippling quadruple weakness to Electric. If anything you should use Ducklett as a scapegoat to take the brunt of a Hyper Beam so another one of your Pokémon can leap in and clean up after.

Water Sport isn't a particularly move considering that Ducklett resists Fire anyway, but it could prove to be helpful if your double battle Pokémon has a resistance to Fire.

Defog doesn't do squat in battle either, but if you're traveling through dense fog you can use this move to find the path again. It's not like fog appears every day though.

Wing Attack, Water Pulse and Aerial Ace are all mediocre moves, but Water Pulse has a slight chance at confusing the foe. Don't rely on that chance.

Air Slash is a stronger move and has a decent chance of making the foe flinch. This will quickly become your main move once Ducklett learns it. Alternatively Ducklett can learn Roost, a move which lets it rest and restore some of its health. Because Ducklett leaves itself vulnerable for a while, the foe may deal even more damage to Ducklett while it is in that state. You should only use this move when you are sure the enemy has no such opportunity.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It'll certainly attempt to annoy them as well, and they won't take kindly to it. Some Pokémon may put up for it for a while, but eventually any sane Pokémon will snap and beat the stuffing out of Ducklett if they can. You should try and keep Ducklett as far away from the others as possible, although you have to be careful so it won't realise you're doing it on purpose. Otherwise it will resist even more!

Once it has bonded enough to consider you a competent leader, then it will start following your orders. If your orders are to stop being such a pain then it will begrudgingly comply. Being annoying is Ducklett's special talent, so you may want to give to permission to hassle wild Pokémon.

**Warnings: **As stupendously annoying as it is Ducklett does not pose any threat. Unless you count its threat to your sanity.

**Summary: **Ducklett is a pain and doesn't really serve any real purpose other than to test your skills as a trainer. If you like catching Pokémon purely for how difficult they are to manage, then Ducklett is right up your alley. Other than that your only reason to catch one would be its prospect of evolving into a beautiful Swanna.

Fuhri's Note: Hmm, have you been wondering why the manner of this guide is so strange? Why it seems as though I'm talking to you rather than typing words for you? Well, that's because I _am _talking to you. You see, I use a device called an Audtype, a device that records whatever you say and converts it into words when you upload the audio file onto a computer! It's smart enough to recognise vocal emphasis and place any words spoken that way in _italics like this_. OR USE CAPS LOCK WHEN I YELL LIKE THIS! I have to edit in the entire proper layout of course, but that isn't an issue.

That may seem very unprofessional, but I've never been very… professional per se. It also lets me continue to progress through this guide even when I'm away from my work desk, it's book writing on the go! Some people might think I'm talking to myself… that can't be good.

Oh well, if I'm ever murdered it'll make good evidence. Haha.

**Next Time… Number 087 Swanna!**

**A/N: Although it's not really an interesting Pokémon, I don't have anything against Ducklett. The title of 'clueless-looking duck' still belongs to Psyduck, though. Oh well, I bet Ducklett has heaps of fans! Every Pokémon does, even Bidoof.**

**If I was a better artist I would make a comic strip or picture to go with every chapter. But I can't spare the time to practise my art skills… Well, I **_**could, **_**but practising art would mean less time writing fanfiction and I prefer this over art. Plus it takes forever to become even mediocre at drawing.**


	97. 087 Swanna

**Number: **# 087

**Type: **Water - Flying

**Species: **White Bird - Swan

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Swanna

**Description: **Swanna is a very beautiful Pokémon that both humans and other Pokémon find beautiful. They are graceful and elegant and hold that gentle queenly aura that gives them the name 'Queens of the Lake'; or in the male's case, Femboys of the Lake. Unfortunately that grace is all they have running for them, as they aren't particularly strong nor do they really stand out amongst all the other attractive Pokémon in Unova. You could say that the limelight has avoided Swanna entirely.

Swanna are much rarer than Ducklett, and very few are seen at any given body of water. This is because most Swanna are up flying in the sky far above, so high you would only see them as little squiggly dots moving across the vast blue. After evolving from a Ducklett all Swanna fly off in search of a flock to join. Upon finding a flock the attempting to join it, the flock will investigate the newly evolved Swanna and after deciding that it has no deformities will permit it permission to join. From that day forward Swanna will stick to that flock like glue and will never leave unless it joins a mate with a larger flock, upon which it will transfer to that flock. If too many Swanna mate and join the larger flocks, then it may become the death of some of the smaller flocks.

Most of their day is spent way up in the sky. But as the sun descends lower into the sky so do the Swanna flocks, eventually coming to rest at still bodies of water such as lakes. As the moon begins to rise over the dusky horizon the Swanna begin their ritual dance.

In this dance the leader moves to the centre of the water and spreads its wings elegantly while the other members form circles of varying size around it. Slowly the Swanna of each circle begin to glide clockwise or anti-clockwise, their movements barely causing ripples in the water. The rest of the dance is too difficult to explain through Audtype, but I can say it involves a lot of swooping and curt gestures. For the entire duration of this dance all of the Swanna are silent, it is considered the most rude of actions to ever interrupt this dance, even if it is with just your voice. This moonlight dance seems to be extremely important to Swanna, for a reason yet to be revealed. Speculation suggests that the Swanna may worship the moon, or believe its reflection in the water blesses them with power. Although it hasn't been proven it is very likely, as many Pokémon tend to have their own miniature religions or traditional beliefs.

Once the moon has risen a quarter of the way into the sky the Swanna bring their Dance to a close and find a safe place to sleep. While not particularly strong on their own, an entire flock of Swanna will prove to be too strong for most predators to tackle. Because of this the Swanna stick very close together and none stray from the group. Just before dawn the Swanna will forage or scavenge for food before taking off to the skies again, resuming their long flight as though it had never been interrupted.

Despite being weak, Swanna are relatively though to capture. This is because they are nowhere to be found during the daytime, so you must wait for them to land before the opportunity even arises. But during their dance and while they are sleeping the Swanna remain tightly compact, meaning that attacking one will arouse the entire flock. Unless you are confident you can take down and entire horde of Swanna it is suggested you take the slightly less sufferable path and catch a Ducklett instead.

**Personality: **Swanna is the complete opposite of Ducklett personality-wise. While Ducklett was a disobedient troublesome little monster, Swanna is a gentle, kind, obedient Pokémon that has great respect for its trainer. Being under the care of a human means they can never live a normal Swanna life and that takes a toll on their morale. But for the sake of pleasing their trainer they remain silent of the issue, although it can potentially tear them apart if not monitored.

Their grace and elegance gives the illusion that they are unhurried and inactive, but realistically they are always active and moving about, looking for some minor job to do or some action they can take to convenience their trainer. Many remember how poorly they treated their trainer as a Ducklett and their heart is filled with regret. Sometimes they may even loathe themselves and become ashamed, hiding themselves away from their trainer and the world in isolation.

Serperior, Samurott, Liepard, Cinccino, Sawsbuck, Mienshao and Haxorus. All these Pokémon are beautiful and/or handsome like Swanna, but Swanna is different. Excluding Sawsbuck most of those Pokémon gain their status from being powerful or becoming active with upper human society, but Swanna has a 'natural' beauty; it has never relies on humans to gush about how nice it looks, nor does it rely on an illustrious or noble history to flesh itself out. It is simply beautiful, for no reason at all. Because of that it appears to be pure and innocent in comparison to the prior Pokémon.

Swanna has always been called the 'Unseen Beauty' and is sometimes called the Cinderella of Pokémon. It is never seen up front flaunting its graceful body for everyone to see. Instead it is found far in the background dashing around making sure everything is tidy and then their trainer is always happy and content. While dashing about cleaning up mess and organising thing they become dirty and appear flustered which works against their image of an elegant Pokémon.

They aren't concerned with their own physical appearance and may even not be aware that people think of them that way! They are more concerned with personality traits and how someone acts rather than what they look like. Swanna is one of those good Pokémon that can see through someone's outer shell and determine what kind of person they are. Their soft hearts are frightened by darkness or bad intentions so they will flee should an evil person show up.

On a last note, Swanna can be quite romantic. They fantasise about their potential heroic mate swooping down to save them and fly off into the sunset with trails of golden sparkles following their lovelorn trail… and so on and so forth. When they have found their mate they are very doting and affectionate towards it always, and will never leave its side. Swanna only mate on the night of the full moon; and while they are normally conservative Pokémon they are _very _lustful on this particular night.

**Lifespan: **At the age of 68 Swanna can die knowing that it has lived a modest life and has had the opportunity to do and see many great things alongside its trainer. Unfortunately it will miss out on some things that older Pokémon will live to witness, and it will most likely not be present during the final years of your life. Swanna isn't concerned with that though; it did its best and it is content with that.

**Diet: **Swanna is a very light eater and is not picky. Its lithe body cannot handle human or Pokémon food, and it only likes natural flora such as vegetables. Peat Moss is still a delicacy but it is no longer obsessive or compulsive about it. So long as you buy a bag of fresh vegetables every few days Swanna will be very happy indeed. Or you could be a jerk and tear up crumbs of bread for it to eat off the ground for your sick amusement.

**How To Bond: **Swanna are uber devoted to their trainers and strive to be of service always. In other words Swanna is your doting little bitch that will do what you ask of it. But just because Swanna is willing to submit itself to you that doesn't mean you should abuse that privilege. Swanna may be a relatively weak Pokémon, but you're forgetting that even the weakest of Pokémon could dispose of a grown human if they chose to.

Since it wants to have a good relationship with you it will be the one making all of the advancements. While you sleep at night it will run around sprucing up the home and preparing everything for tomorrow. They won't stop to rest until you have everything you could want and will even omit sleep if they feel they could do better. It's easy to just throw all of your work and problems onto Swanna's shoulders so you don't have to worry about them, but Swanna can only take so much before it becomes overwhelmed. You should frequently do favours for Swanna in return, which would make it evident that you really do care about Swanna too.

The majority of Swanna remember their days of being mean to their trainers as a Ducklett, and it pains them to even think about it. Their overwhelming regret can sometimes drive them to become shy and reclusive from their trainer, afraid that they will hurt them even more. This sort of self-loathing behaviour isn't healthy for any Pokémon to endure, so you need to be kind and friendly to Swanna the minute it evolves from Ducklett. You may still be fuming from its latest trolling attempt but you mustn't blame Swanna for its transgressions as a Ducklett. Go ahead and give it a hug, and if it's feeling insecure tell Swanna that everything will be fine. No one else can help Swanna let go of its past grievances.

**Love: **This species is very affectionate, even though they do not make it obvious. Being the romantic species they are Swanna are always looking forward to finding their enteral mate and most of their spare time is spent gawking off into the distance with fantasising eyes. Due to this their affection is naturally directed towards the one person they value in their life… you!

Swanna really do make the perfect husband or wife. Loving, loyal, affectionate and devoted. They are so concerned with the welfare of their partner that they often forgo their own needs. These qualities really make Swanna stand out in this regard. Although most people who intend on marrying a Pokémon are more concerned with its physical looks rather than its personality.

Remember that Swanna is another species that mate for life, so don't even consider leaving Swanna for another person. Swanna will get so immensely attached to you that leaving like that would be enough to give it a heart attack and kill it. Murdering the Pokémon you supposedly loved enough to have as your mate isn't how to manage things…

**Battling: **I've said it multiple times for the last two chapters; Swanna isn't that strong. It can fight to defend the life of its trainer or its own, but it normally relies on the combined strength of its flock to help. Fortunately it has a few resistances and a single weakness to counter its brittle defences, but its quadruple weakness to Electric attacks leaves it open to relentless assault. Swanna should be used for double or triple battles only unless in emergency circumstances.

Tailwind is actually a very useful move that allows all of your Pokémon to strike first. Battles are normally nothing but Pokémon hitting each other until the other stops moving, so striking first will be a fantastic advantage.

Brave Bird is exactly what it sounds like. Swanna takes a huge risk by swooping in low to collide with the foe. Due to the reckless nature of this move Swanna is likely to take some damage from the impact, particularly if used against a solid Pokémon such as Gigalith.

Hurricane is one of the strongest Flying type moves and even when used by and underwhelming Pokémon such as Swanna it can wreak some havoc. You should use this move straight after using Tailwind at the beginning of every battle.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Swanna is rather submissive and is happy to stay in the background working while all your other Pokémon sit around you getting more attention. It doesn't even mind getting pushed around a little if it means that peace will remain within the group. Due to this you might want to involve Swanna with everyone else so they see it as another team member rather than a lackey working below them. It would also let you see who is picking of Swanna if anyone is. Do _not _let them get away with it, bullying within Pokémon teams is a terrible thing and it shouldn't be overlooked.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **For all of the good qualities Swanna possesses, it is commonly overlooked or ignored. While not strong Swanna makes a fantastic friend, servant or companion and is worthy to fill In one of the six spots on your team. In this world there aren't many Pokémon quite as kind and serving as Swanna.

**Next Time… Number 088 Vanillite!**

* * *

**A/N: As lovely as Swanna is, I don't think I would get one. Truthfully if Pokémon existed I would be too obsessed with catching an Emonga to focus on anything else. Oh dear, that makes me sound like Ash doesn't it? I wouldn't want to turn out like that kid.**


	98. 088 Vanillite

**Number: **# 088

**Type: **Ice

**Species: **Fresh Snow

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name:** Vanipeti

**Description: **Vanillite is another one of those odd Pokémon that's existence can't really be explained. Alongside Yamask, Trubbish, Klink, Cryogonal and Golett; Vanillite is another species that does not originate from Mew's DNA and is born from some other unusual method. While the exact reason still remains a huge mystery still plaguing the scientific community, ideas and suggestions are constantly popping up.

Theoretically speaking the first Vanillite were born millions of years ago by glacial icicles being exposed to morning sunlight as they were under great pressure from the shifting glaciers. That sounds like a whopping pile of crap to me. Since when did the sun have magic life-gifting powers? Why aren't rocks and houses and park benches all jumping to life every time the sun rises? It's just too illogical and farfetched for me to even consider believing.

That's what science is all about though. Ideas have to be put forward and be thoroughly criticized before they can ever become true facts. Likewise something that sounds completely absurd to one person can be perfect logic to another, it's all about perspective. No matter how silly or sensible something is there will always be people who believe it and people who don't. Oh well, we still have those crazies who don't believe in Arceus and think we evolved from Mankey!

Regardless of how Vanillite can into existence, it is still here today. However they are still a relatively rare sight even today due to their specific habitat. Vanillite hate warm environments and flee from where they are should it begin to heat up. However they enjoy bathing in the light of the rising sun so they try their best to stay exposed to it. The sides of Twist Mountain are perfect for Vanillite to live, particularly the East. This way Vanillite remains cold up at those chilly altitudes but the barren landscape allows them to remain in the sunlight as much as they want. If you hike up to the top of Twist Mountain you will find hundreds of tiny caverns dug out on the side of the mountain; these caverns are dug out by Vanillite, Vanillish and Vanilluxe so they may have a place to sleep and call home. It is advised that you do not enter them; otherwise you might become frozen to death!

Their habitat relies very heavily on the season however, in summer they are only found near the summit, in autumn and spring they are found halfway and in winter they can sometimes been seen at the foot of the mountain. Clay's miners and workers reportedly have many, many run-ins with the Vanillite and often end up keeping one. Their work commonly disturbs the Vanillite caverns; causing swarms of upset Vanillite to come out and attack. These hostile situations infrequently result in the death of workers so this relationship is a two-way street.

Even to a naïve person Vanillite's cute swirly snowy head is reminiscent of an ice cream cone. It also looks a little like Juniper's hair! Ugh, now I see her stupid face whenever I think of a Vanillite… Great.

There is even a fairy tale about an ice cream coming to life and running away from an old man and lady, being chased across the land by hungry people and Pokémon before being eaten by a Zoroark that promised to carry it across a river. Of course it's not true, Vanillite have been around millions of years before humans or ice cream even existed. With that being said, there is no possible way Vanillite originated from ice cream.

The snow you see on Vanillite isn't actually part of its real body. Vanillite love soft sunshine, but even that proves to be too much for them. So in order from them to stay protected while enjoying the sunshine they coat their heads in snow, possibly created from their own freezing breath. Fortunately Vanillite's own freezing body keeps the snow in the solid form it is. But if it is exposed to extreme heat or falls it, that snow will melt away to reveal Vanillite's true face.

That's right, all that snow is nothing more than a makeshift mask that Vanillite wears to cover its real head from anything bad. Its real head is simply a shiny icy bauble, with the same roundness as a Voltorb. They absolutely _hate _being exposed this way and will cover up their bald head as quickly as they possibly can. The person who wronged Vanillite this way may become frostbitten by Vanillite's fury. _Do. Not. Remove. That. Snow!_ Vanillite will instinctively freeze you solid which may cost you your life.

Imagine living in a world where the sun's rays are so powerful that going outside without a thick layer of sunscreen would result in severe sunburn. Naturally everyone would still want to go outside and live their lives under the sun, so they would go to the effort of protecting themselves so they may do so. This is the exact situation that Vanillite finds itself in. Forcibly removing Vanillite's only protection would be seen as an attempt to severely injure Vanillite.

**Personality: **Vanillite are rather laid back and carefree. It's been proven that in the wild Vanillite are happy to stay motionless within their ice caves for hours on end. As a contradiction to that they are quite sociable creatures and love to investigate what other people are doing. This combination of traits means that Vanillite stay close together and form close bonds of friendship. This is another reason why attacking a Vanillite home is a terrible idea; one angry Vanillite will quickly turn into dozens before you know it, and they will surely be able to out speed you. Most people wait until winter when the Vanillite move further down the mountain and away from their caves until they attempt to catch one.

Both Ducklett and the Reuniclus family appear to be ditzy, but in reality are actually very cunning. Vanillite on the other hand truly are clueless and relatively accident prone. If you see a Vanillite floating in the middle of nowhere it isn't setting you up for a trap; it simply forgot where it was or what it was doing. Their simplicity also means they don't like wandering far from their home mountain and generally stay within the area. However they are _always _investigating the miners all around Twist Mountain and may even set up permanent residence at their workplace during winter. The workers typically don't mind these nosy Pokémon, but if they get too invasive they might forcibly remove them. Unfortunately they are forgetting that Twist Mountain is Vanillite's only habitat, and they should be grateful that the Vanillite don't realise that they are tearing it apart. Vanillite may appear to be a cute ice cream cone, but a furious swarm of them _can _easily kill a group of grown men.

Fortunately Vanillite are very docile and have little interest in fighting. The only time they react with violence is if they are struck first; or if someone encroaches too deep into their lairs. So long as you don't go around attacking them or snooping through their homes you could walk through thousands of them and not be attacked.

Even though they are ditzy as ever they still have strong survival instincts that shouldn't be taken for granted. They are smart enough to gather food and plan for future disasters. A few years ago workers reported seeing thousands of Vanillite evacuating the western side of Twist Mountain and settling on the east side for no apparent reason. The next day a horrendous blizzard struck the west side which killed dozens of wild Pokémon and a handful of humans too. Vanillite may be and air-head, but it isn't exactly stupid.

If something isn't instantly fun or vital to Vanillite's survival, then it is very unlikely for Vanillite to do it. This is why there are so many Vanillite and so few Vanillish and Vanilluxe. Even though it is easy to gain enough experience to evolve and it has a huge amount of merits Vanillite won't attempt to try; because it is neither instantly fun nor vital to survival. They follow their trainers order though so you can try and convince Vanillite to try to evolve.

**Lifespan: **Just like all inorganic Pokémon such as Roggenrola, Yamask, Trubbish and Klink, Vanillite can live for an obscenely long time. It is essentially nothing more than a living glacial formation, and it's extremely cold essence keeps it from melting even in humid conditions. There are glaciers near Giant Chasm which have been there since the last ice age, and likewise there are still theoretically Vanillite around since then too. Unless you're going to throw Vanillite into a volcano you will never have to worry about its demise.

**Diet: **Being the inorganic creature that it is, Vanillite needs no sort of nutrition whatsoever. Although some people like feeding Castelia Cones to their Vanillite just to laugh at the uncanny resemblance.

**How To Bond: **If you somehow managed to storm a Vanillite cavern, capture a Vanillite and escape to tell the tale, your efforts would all be in vain. Vanillite will hate you for so rudely tearing it from its home and likely never forgive you. Your best option would be to release it and hope it doesn't freeze you solid for your actions.

Instead it would be wiser to wait for a Vanillite to wander further away from the rest of its cohorts and home before you attack. Better yet you could wait until winter, where they descend lower down the mountainside and become spaced out. You won't have to worry about getting overwhelmed by many other Vanillite that way. Or even _better yet _try and actually befriend a Vanillite, and then ask it to join you. That last option would be the most profitable option as Vanillite would already like you.

So long as you keep things fun and interesting Vanillite will grow to like you, even if it was a little upset at being caught. If you're travelling plan to visit all the exiting things at every place you go to, such as the Nimbasa theme park or Nacrene City's museum. Or if you stay at home go and buy lots of cheap little toys for Vanillite to play with. Or if your Vanillite is an inside Pokémon you could start collecting movies. This way Vanillite will believe that staying with you is more worthwhile than wandering around Twist Mountain.

Vanillite is simple to bond with and after that it can make a quality friend so long as you remain fun and interesting. But unfortunately you can't be as physical with Vanillite as your other Pokémon. Even if Vanillite is crying you can't pick it up and hug it; because those frozen tears may give you frostbite!

On top of that you have to be careful what Vanillite touches. Any food or liquids will be frozen solid, and any electronics it comes into contact with may be ruined. And due to lowered temperature caused by Vanillite's presence you may spend a lot more money keeping your house properly heated. You might want to have a specific talk to Vanillite about what it can and can't touch. Other than that they can be quite affectionate, but that means you will need to constantly remind it not to get too close.

**Love: **Nearly every Pokémon has the potential to enter a romantic relationship with their trainer, and Vanillite is no exception. But for all it's worth you might as well go marry an icicle. Vanillite's frozen body is too dangerous to come into contact with so any sort of physical intimacy is suicidal. Have you ever stuck your tongue to something in freezing conditions and had it frozen there? The same applies to Vanillite. With that in mind I highly advise you refrain from sticking any of your… sensitive parts near Vanillite.

It's up to you really, but I would suggest you go find a more applicable Pokémon or human to have as your companion.

**Battling: **With exception of Fire, Rock, Steel and Ghost types, Vanillite's physical body and breath is enough of a threat. Nearly anything that touches Vanillite will be severely frozen regardless of what type it is. Even though many types are usually damaged normally by Ice type moves, Vanillite can still prove dangerous. Water types can be frozen solid, Flying types can have their wings frozen and fall form the sky, Bugs suffer from the cold, and Dragons edge backwards from this harmless looking critter. Because it is still just a non-evolved Pokémon it isn't very strong in terms of stats, so you may want to make it a kamikaze. Fly in there and freeze the enemy, and although they'll take Vanillite down without effort they will be too frozen to fight the next Pokémon you're about to send out.

Fire types easily resist Vanillite's attempts as freezing them and can destroy Vanillite in an instant. You should _never _intentionally send Vanillite out against a Fire type; it won't stand the slightest chance. On top of that Rock and Steel types aren't really affected by Vanillite's cold, although it could do some serious damage to the Klink family if it manages to freeze their gears.

Icicle Spear is the first move that Vanillite learn when they are born and while it is not very strong the repeated attacks can wear an enemy out, especially if they are weak and fleeing.

Icy Wind is a move frequently associated with the Vanillite family. This move deals a fair amount of damage and can freeze the target. Furthermore the cold inflicted by this move can debilitate foes and make it tougher for their body to keep functioning.

Avalanche is exactly what it sounds like, it causes an avalanche! Keep in mind you have to be somewhere where an avalanche can actually happen; like a mountainside. You also need to keep in mind that you could be injured by the avalanche too if you are not cautious.

Ice Beam is the best move Vanillite can learn in this form and it serves its job well. Not only will foes stagger backwards from the powerful force of this move, they will also be frozen and start to suffer from the effects it has on their cardiovascular system. There have been cases where this move has struck a Pokémon so hard that it blasted a hole in their guts and froze them inside out!

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Hah, if they aren't interesting of friendly then Vanillite will most likely ignore their existence altogether. But if they have a bone to pick with Vanillite then it won't hesitate to show them how scary the cold can be. In other words, someone is either Vanillite's friend, its enemy, or they don't exist at all. It likes to keep things simple like that, but it's a little excessive don't you think?

Whatever, it won't cause any problems. If you are all in emergency circumstances Vanillite will temporarily pay them attention until the issue has been resolved. It may be a silly Pokémon but it won't let its own quirks get in the way of protecting its precious trainer.

Please keep in mind that Dragon types such as the Axew family will have trouble even being near Vanillite, given that it is their only bane besides themselves. Older and wiser ones such as Haxorus will understand, but younger or more temperamental Pokémon such as Axew or Druddigon aren't going to have the patience. If in the rare chance you do catch a Dragon type, you are going to have to decide whether you want the Dragon or Vanillite more.

**Warnings: (!) **Don't physically touch Vanillite, and _do not _attempt to remove the snow on its head. Doing either of those things could result in serious harm or death.

**Summary: **Vanillite is another quirky Pokémon that has its pros and cons. On the good side it is a reliable battler that doesn't need to be fed and gets on relatively well with other Pokémon. On the flip side it is difficult to catch and cannot be touched like other Pokémon, plus it requires a lot of attention for it to behave properly. If you think you have the time and resources to care for one of these go ahead, but otherwise look for something less hazardous.

**Next Time… Number 089 Vanillish!**

* * *

**A/N: I don't care what people say about Vanillite, it has a better design that most Kanto Pokémon at the very least. It's worth noting that the Vanillite family was designed by the first ever Caucasian person let onto the Pokémon design team. Gamefreak was quick to point that out after the backlash they got after Vanillite was revealed.**

**A lot of people use Vanillite as an example to show that Pokémon has run out of ideas, usually ignoring the other dozens of Unova Pokémon in the process. Of course Gamefreak has never run out of ideas. I **_**was**_** about to go on a rant about how Unova Pokémon are the best ever and then proceed to bash Kanto, but I stopped myself in time. Sometimes as a writer you have to refrain from expressing your opinion, especially if it clashes with a commonly held opinion.**

**Vanillite isn't really the kind of Pokémon I would use. Ice types have too many weaknesses for my taste and the only Ice type I've ever used is Glaceon, only because it is the absolutely most adorable Pokémon introduced in Gen4, excluding Shaymin of course. **

**If I had a Vanillite in real life, I think it would be the death of me. It must be hard to keep your distance from someone who is supposed to be one of your six closest allies! Plus I would be tempted just to prod at Vanillite's snowy head.**


	99. 089 Vanillish

**Number: **# 089

**Type: **Ice

**Species: **Ice and Snow

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Vanirich

**Description: **The fella is one ice cream you won't be eating anytime soon. In theory Vanillite is a dangerous but weak Pokémon. It has the potential to kill you with its icy breath, but overall isn't much of a concern in comparison to other Pokémon species. Vanillish on the other hand is much stronger than its pre-evolved form. At its current level of power Vanillish's mere presence rapidly lowers the room temperature to chilly conditions. Neither Vanillish nor Vanilluxe understand the concept of rain, because any raindrops near them instantly turn into snowflakes. Some Vanillish are actually startled when they meet a Water type for the first time, because they can't understand why their water is in a liquid form rather than a solid form.

Let's take a closer look at this comparison. Vanillite can keep itself cold enough to remain in a solid form, but requires a layer of snow on its head to prevent itself from getting hurt from mere sunlight. Vanillish on the other hand is cold enough to withstand any sort of heated weather. If you took Vanillish to a swimming pool all the other people would get out of the water and complain about the sudden drop in temperature. If Vanillish got _into _the water it would freeze it solid and everyone in it would die unless removed rapidly.

Furthermore, Vanillite's breath was around -50 degrees Celsius, which is cold enough to freeze water almost instantly. Meanwhile Vanillish's breath can reach -70 degrees Celsius! That's almost as cold as the lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth, and at that temperature any organic creature that wasn't a Fire type would die in seconds. Furthermore touching Vanillish is enough to instantly freeze your entire body, killing you instantly. Continuing on that, with effort Vanillish can solidify molten lava.

As you can see Vanillish is an extremely hazardous Pokémon that cannot be treated lightly and must be handled with care. Even a slight bump could be the death of you.

Fortunately they are a very rare species and are spotted intermittently along the heights of Twist Mountain. If you were to venture right up to the caverns where they live you would only spot a handful among the hundreds of Vanillite milling around. Normally evolved Pokémon take a role of guardianship or authority over their unevolved forms, but Vanillish isn't interested at all. It is more content just to remain on the same page as all the other Vanillite wandering around; it may not have even noticed it evolved!

**Personality: **It has not changed from a Vanillite at all so don't expect to see a newly reformed, wiser Pokémon. And its goofy face doesn't conceal and ulterior motives easier, it's as goofy as it looks. But being goofy does not equate to being stupid. Vanillish can carry out pre-emptive plans, think ahead and make calculated decisions just like any other species; it just doesn't act with obvious intent like anybody else. For example; if you wanted to press a button on keyboard near you, you would walk straight up to it and press the intended key. No further action necessary. But Vanillish would hover around for a while, peep out the window, float over to the keyboard, fiddle with the other keys and _then _press the intended key. You don't know the definition of lollygagging until you've met a Vanillish.

In other words; even though Vanillish may look like it's not doing what you ordered, it actually is and you can't tell. It will eventually get around to doing whatever it's supposed to be doing, but it will take a little longer than other Pokémon. This whimsical attitude pisses off a lot of people and they end up yelling at Vanillish to hurry up and get the job done. Not that it helps, Vanillish will just pretend not to hear you and hum to itself while it messes about. It's a commonly held thought that Vanillish is useless and unreliable, but while sounding true that is far from accurate. Vanillish _will _complete its objective; it just wants to do it in a unique way.

Last year I watched on the news a story about a boy and his Vanillish. In Nuvema Town Port a defiant and unruly Charizard imported from Kanto broke free and begun raging across Route 1. At that time on Route 1 a boy was travelling along peacefully just like many trainers do, until that Charizard descended from the sky to attack him. After he sent out his Sneasel and his Vanillish and ordered them to attack, Vanillish wandered away into the wilderness. After a tough battle Sneasel's typing vulnerability made it lose the battle leaving the boy open to be attacked; but just before he was torn to shreds a rock fell out of the sky, struck the Charizard on the spinal cord and killed it instantly.

Where did that rock come from? Up on the ledge where the rock had fallen Vanillish floated smiling at his relieved master. Knowing that its Ice typing would make it lose the battle, it spotted that nearby rock and flew away so it could kill the Charizard without getting caught in the flaming crossfire. Given its wily nature the boy had assumed Vanillish was abandoning him; but instead it was using the best possible tactic to save his life! That sounds like a really awesome story, but you shouldn't believe it straight away. Charizard are normally a well-trained species and a single rock shouldn't have killed it, even though it _is _horribly weak to Rock moves… The news media often exaggerates stories after all.

On a last note Vanillish are pretty cheery and carefree. They get bored easily and tend to wander off if their curiosity isn't sated, so you will have to try your best to keep it happy. They prefer simple humour over more complicated humour such as irony. Just don't try and tell any complicated jokes to Vanillish, it would have floated away before you even come near the punchline.

**Lifespan: **Once again their lack of organs and durable composition allows them to live for obscene periods of time. You'll never have to worry about Vanillish dying, so you can go ahead and relax now.

**Diet: **Last time I checked icicles and glaciers didn't need to be fed. If they did I'm pretty sure they would all be dead by about now. Needless to say Vanillish doesn't need to be fed either. It does have a mouth, but that is for vocal communication rather than consumption. Organs can have more than one function, you know.

**How To Bond: **Due to Vanillish's mysterious behaviour it is difficult to tell how well you have bonded with Vanillish. Is it floating away from you because it doesn't like you? Or because that swing set over there looks interesting? Is it dashing towards you because it's happy to see you, or because it wants to kill you? If Pokémon were books, then this Pokémon would be almost unreadable. You are going to have to give Vanillish the benefit of the doubt and just assume that it considers you it's friend. So long as Vanillish doesn't appear to be intentionally attempting to harm you things should be fine.

I must remind you that you _will _have to have a serious talk with Vanillish regarding personal space. Mere physical contact can cost you or your Pokémon's lives, and Vanillish will most likely be unaware of that. A good idea would be to sit down with Vanillish and show it how its body can freeze things, by using small objects as examples. So long as you get the message across that it is dangerous to touch you then Vanillish will understand.

There is one more thing you need to know. There are several places where it is illegal to take a Vanillish. Firstly, Vanillish may not go near any sort of public pool or swimming area. This is because It freezes all of the tiny droplets of water on the poolside, causing a hazardous slippery environment; pus it makes all of the other people present too cold to enjoy the water.

Secondly it is illegal to take a Vanillish to a movie theatre. The effects of it's cold presence will make to too cold for the movie patrons to enjoy the movie, and Vanillish might damage the seat it's sitting on. Generally places will have a sign saying 'No Hypothermic Pokémon Allowed', and by hypothermic they mean Vanillish.

**Love: **I really don't recommend this; purely for your own safety. What kind of relationship can you get out of dating a lethal ice cream formation? If you really need to be in a relationship with someone that bad, just ask out that girl you always see on the street or visit a Poképhile club or something.

Seriously, marrying a Vanillish will be the death of you.

**Battling: **Vanillish is a very dangerous Pokémon and anyone who gets in your way will quickly come to know this. For the majority of Pokémon, typing is the biggest factor in determining who wins the battle. Even at a juvenile age children know that Water always beats Fire, Fire always beats Grass, and so on and so forward.

But in some cases due to some unusual occurrence typing is no longer a deciding factor in battle, and Vanillish is a prime example. For example, normally Ice does little damage against Water types, so if an Ice type used Ice Beam against a Samurott, it wouldn't do much damage. But Vanillish is so amazingly cold that Samurott would instantly be frozen solid, even the blood running through its veins. It doesn't matter that it resisted the attack itself; Vanillish's sheer cold will be enough to freeze it solid.

Because of this you needn't worry about typing. Even though Sawk can deal a lot of damage to Vanillish with its mighty punches; once it hits Vanillish with a punch it will be frozen and left defenceless. Due to this insane advantage Vanillish has most Pokémon or trainers will flee from you once they recognise it. Vanillish may look like stupid ice cream, but it is powerful enough to make even a Haxorus shudder in fear.

The only exceptions to this are Fire and Ghost types. Most Fire types are hot enough to resist Vanillish's cold and retaliate with powerful attacks, and Ghost types can simply move through the ice like the ghosts they are. Because of that, these two are the ones you have to watch out for. Frillish and Jellicent are exceptions, because they have entirely physical bodies and cannot move through objects like other Ghosts can.

As for moves, Hail is a very useful move that as the name implies summons a hailstorm to batter the area. Vanillish will be immune to the damage the hail inflicts, and due to its upbringing it will be able to easily see through the thick hail, even though the enemy may not.

Mirror Coat is an interesting move that uses Vanillish's crystalline body to reflect damage inflicted back at the foe containing twice as much power. If the foe just used a Hyper Beam against you, _they're screwed._ Please note that this only works against Special moves and has no effect on Physical moves. This doesn't really matter as anything that goes close enough to use a Physical attack will get frozen anyway.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **So long as both Vanillish and your other Pokémon know to keep a distance between each other things will be fine. Vanillish is friendly and cheery yet isn't too invasive like its pre-evolved form. This means that it will quickly make friends with other likeminded Pokémon but won't annoy the ones that want to keep to themselves.

The only issue is baby Pokémon. At that age they are too young to understand the dangers of coming into contact with Vanillish and even though Vanillish will be conscious of the hazard it might not notice them sneaking up on it. It would be better just to not have a baby on the same team.

**Warnings: **I've already made it very clear, _don't touch Vanillish!_ You will have to train yourself to remain very aware of its presence all the time and take constant countermeasures to prevent yourself getting killed. For understandable reasons the Pokémon League does not advise anyone under the age of 18 to possess one.

**Summary: **Vanillish is a powerful yet dangerous Pokémon. Having one on your team will make you a threat that every trainer must consider, but it also means that you must live in fear of being killed by your very own Pokémon. It's up to you to decide whether you want to work with this high risk – high reward creature. Please remember that winning battles should not become a priority over your own safety and the safety of your Pokémon!

On a last note, Vanillish becomes _even more _dangerous when it evolves into Vanilluxe, so evolving it is an even more risky decision.

**Next Time… Number 090 Vanilluxe!**

* * *

**A/N: "Just because something looks cute and harmless, it isn't necessarily so." That's a rule that I keep in mind when dealing with Pokémon. Nearly all Pokémon could kill a human if they decided to, so it's important to keep that in mind. Generally it's not a good idea to judge something by first appearances anyway, and that entails a lot of things such as strength, morality, and most importantly **_**gender.**_

**I certainly wouldn't have a Vanillish on my team knowing it could kill me so easily. Would you? It's like a walking calamity…**


	100. CelebritySpotlight - Carefree Man Marlon

**Name: **Marlon

**Japanese Name: **Shizui

**Typing Specialty: **Water

**Gender: **Male

**Description: **This blue haired dude is the latest addition to our little gaggle of Gym Leaders dotted across the country. Over the few years we've had quite a few unusual people take on these important societal roles; and many of them have come from bizarre and unusual backgrounds. Many of them have clawed their way to the top through years of hard work, suffering and self-exploration; or maybe they earned it in miracle-like circumstances testifying their luck. But Marlon? He just surfed into Unova one day and got the job the next!

It would have been about four months ago when Marlon first showed up in Unova. Humilau City and Humilau Beach are both popular destinations, so many people flock to the beach on hot sunny days. On one particular scorching Friday afternoon hundreds of people were shocked to see Marlon riding his Wailord all the way up to the sand! If you have never left Unova you might not know what a Wailord is. Wailord is the largest Pokémon in the world, and rivals the size of battleships! So it would be extremely unsettling for someone enjoying a day at the beach to see something like that charging at you across the water.

While acting as though nothing crazy has just occurred, he returned Wailord to its ball, gave a friendly wave to the shocked patrons, and headed into town to book a hotel room. It was a large enough event to appear on the national news that night. That wretched Juniper asked me to take care of a Beeheeyem that night while she went to sort out some disaster, and even though she is the devil I can't turn down a lady's request. It's- It's not like I _wanted _to! Don't take it that way!

Beeheeyem can easily manipulate a person's memories; so when I saw that absurd news article I thought she sent Beeheeyem to mess with my mind as part of some sort of elaborate trolling stunt. The next day when she asked me why Beeheeyem was unconscious in the garbage bin she didn't get a response. But, I digress.

Alongside Brycen, Marlon is another person we know very little about. It's not because he avoids questions like Brycen, it's because he's too busy splashing about in the ocean with his Pokémon to answer any. What we _do _know is that he isn't from anywhere near here. Since he first showed up in Humilau City from the ocean, it's safe to say he's from the east. But since Unova is placed near the centre of the world the 'east' has a broad definition. His accent and mannerisms are too rough for the polite and nostalgic people of Johto, and too modern for the traditional farmers of Kanto. Since he is so heavily affiliated with water and has such a smooth accent it would be a safe guess to assume he comes from the Orange Archipelago.

The Orange Archipelago is a cluster of tropical islands located south of Kanto. Even though most of them are a mere day's travel away from each other, there are many, many different accents which are strongly distinct of one another. If you went there and explored the islands you would know when you have found the one Marlon comes from; because everyone would all speak in the same carefree manner. Somehow that scares me.

It seems that his current position as Gym Leader is the first job he's ever had. In the brief periods of time news reporters managed to corner him, he responded with:

"_I've always been a drifter, man. Moving from place to place without a care in the world, just me and my mates, my Pokémon! But everydude's gotta settle down sometime, right? So when I just sailed into Undella Bay that day and saw all those people chillaxing on the beach, I thought this would be a totally awesome place to get set into things!"_

Take that any way you want, it's hard enough for me to understand as it is. I think he was trying to say that he has never done anything proper before, but after coming to Unova he liked it enough to settle down or something. Given his current habit of wandering off that would make a lot of sense.

**Personality: **Marlon is the pure definition of a wild card. He's totally unpredictable and no one on this planet would ever be able to figure out his next move, even those fancy psychics you see on TV. It has been said that the simplest and most complacent of minds are the most difficult to read. I guess that has something to do with reverse psychology, huh? No? Fine then.

Being a Gym Leader is a tough job. It comes with a lot of pressure and lots of people have high expectations. You often have to omit your own lifestyle in order to fulfil your duties and most of your actions relate to battling challengers or making preparations. This is the reason why young or unreliable people are not usually chosen for this role, as they tend to crack under the pressure. Cheren only got the job because he had proven how capable he is, plus he was in contact with the mysterious figure who saved Unova four years ago; whom I'm currently investigating into right now. Roxie on the other hand earned the role simply because she was powerful and amazingly popular, and the decrepit old men at the Pokémon League decided that having a popular young role model would be beneficial.

No one knows how Marlon earned his position, and no one knows how on earth he still has it. Most of the time he's not even _at _his gym, instead he's out playing with his Pokémon in the ocean. He hardly ever fulfils his obliged duties, few trainers have the fortune of actually battling him when he's there, and he never attends the monthly conferences for Gym Leaders. There have been numerous complaints filed against him for his delinquency, but he never even stops to open them. Considering that he's failed his obligations in almost every way possible, it is both amazing and suspicious that he hasn't been fired yet. Even when people yell at him that he's going to get fired, he just laughs and waves in a friendly manner.

He doesn't seem to be as bad as everyone portrays him though. The Wave Badge gets handed out quite often and there is an abundant amount of trainers showing off their sparkling new badge. And those who fight him, even if they lose, walk away happy with the battle they fought. I can't really explain it, this strange man is something that can't really be explained at all…

Marlon is very laid back as you can tell, and he seemingly never gets angry or sad. Even if you yelled at his he would smile and hold up his hands in a submissive gesture, mentioning something like: "_Hey dude, chill! Or better yet, take a chill pill!"_ That kind of attitude can make an angry person even angrier. Even when busy he walks causally and carelessly as though he's in the middle of a daydream and he fails to pay attention even when it's needed. The amount of times he's walked through the middle of traffic… dear Arceus…

He also refuses to allow other people's opinions determine his own feelings or actions. Because of this he doesn't like associating himself with groups or ideological beliefs and prefers to keep to himself. Of _all _of the current Gym Leaders of Unova, Marlon did the least to stop Team Plasma; although he did hijack their boat and let the heroic Nate go on board to take Team Plasma down. This was because he didn't know himself whether Team Plasma were bad people, and he didn't want everyone else's opinion that they were bad interfere with that. This has given him quite a bad name amongst some people.

Nevertheless he is too unpredictable to call incompetent. He may have some grand scheme in store, or he may be doing what's best and no one can tell. For now let's just let him live his carefree life.

**Battle: **I'll never know how well he fights, because I gave up the life of a trainer long ago when my starter was ki-

…

N-Nevermind…

What I'm trying to say, is that I'll never know how skilled he is in battle, because I won't fight for a badge ever again. On top of that Marlon hardly ever fights in public areas where people can witness the battle. All the information I've gathered is from people's personal reports and observations.

Marlon fights like the ocean; he bashes you with relentless attacks until you're too worn out to resist, and then allows you to sink to the deep, dark depths of defeat. Beating Marlon requires a huge amount of patience and endurance from both you and your Pokémon if you want to pull through. Just like the sea his attacks are hard to survive, but as any sailor knows; once the sea has vented it's anger it must rest peacefully for a while to recover. In other words, you don't have to worry about damaging him straight away. Once you've survived all his attacks all his Pokémon will be too tired to defend themselves later on. Patience is the most important virtue in this battle.

Ferroseed and Ferrothorn are absolutely the best Pokémon you could use against Marlon. They resist everything he can throw at you and deal massive damage while doing so. If you can catch one of these you certainly should do so before attempting to fight him. Failing that, any Grass type with high defences should suffice; just make sure to have them go through some endurance training beforehand.

Since this battle is all about surviving, healing is very useful. Giga Drain can singlehandedly win the battle for you if one of your Pokémon knows it! Just keep your Pokémon healthy and watch as his Pokémon wear themselves down to their demise.

Wailord's massive size may make it appear impossible to defeat, but that is only an illusion. Just keep on blasting away at it and eventually it'll collapse in exhaustion. After all, it's large body makes it an easier target. Wailord has to stay in the water arena, so a Pokémon that can stay out of its range would be good. A flying type?

The one you really have to watch out for is… Jelli-Jellicent. That bastard is sneaky I bet, so you need to keep a sharp eye on it. Furthermore it has the ability Cursed Body, a terrible ability that seal's the attacker's soul and mind, preventing them from hurting Jellicent they way they just did. Since this ability only works if the attacker physically strikes Jellicent, I suggest you stick to special attacks such as Giga Drain and Energy Ball.

**With Pokémon:**Marlon loves his Pokémon very much, and that's why he spends so much time in the water with them. His affection for them is the main reason why he omits the time he should be spending as a Gym Leader. His choice of Pokémon is certainly strange, not many people would want to waste their time with such a demanding Pokémon such as Wailord, and not many people are suicidal enough to own a Jellicent. Marlon isn't the kind of person to develop an opinion based on that, so he probably likes them for who they are rather than _what _they are, which is how every trainer should act. Nowadays people are too obsessed with getting cute or awesome Pokémon, rather than seeing Pokémon for what they really are…

His Pokémon are very loyal to him in turn and they will do anything to protect the kind man who takes care of them. Even though he's moderately unreliable, I think any Pokémon would be lucky to have a trainer like him.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Drayden!**

* * *

**A/N: **

**Sorry I haven't been updating quite as quickly as I used to. I'm studying full-time at College now and it's taking up much more time than I initially expected both in class and after class. By the end of the year I have to recognize 1200 Kanji and speak Japanese nearly semi-fluently. A majority of the time I used to spend working on this story now goes to studying and memorizing everything I'm supposed to learn, so I can only work on it a little each day. Plus I get tired when I get home and I refuse to work on this story when I'm tired… It's a little bit sad.**

**I guess it's expected though. I used to think all the other author's on this site were very slow at updating their stories, but now that I'm busy I realise they weren't slow; I'm just very fast and had too much time on my hands…**

**I spend far too much time rambling in the Author's Note, don't I?**


	101. 090 Vanilluxe

**Number: **# 090

**Type: **Ice

**Species: **Snowstorm – Blizzard

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Baivanilla

**Description: **Despite its cutesy and harmless appearance, Vanilluxe is one of the most lethal, powerful and terrifying Pokémon to ever exist in Unova, and potentially even the world. The only Pokémon in Unova that are feared more than Vanilluxe are Chandelure, Hydreigon, Tornadus and Thunderus.

Haxorus, Hydreigon, Salamence, Dragonite. The four strongest non-legendary Dragons in existence. What is one thing they have in common? They all cower in the presence of Vanilluxe. That's understandable; most non-legendary Pokémon cower in its presence too. You see, under the official Pokémon League rulebook that is devoutly read and obeyed across the globe, Vanilluxe is registered as a CP, a 'Cataclysmic Pokémon'. Pokémon registered under this name are considered living natural disasters and are the absolutely most lethal Pokémon in the known universe.

Here's a quote from the rulebook itself:

"_Cataclysmic Pokémon: Creatures of the highest order of disaster; the mere presence of these entities warrants horrendous catastrophe, death and suffering for multiple parties of both people and Pokémon present. Under the Global Security Act secured in 1984, any one of these Pokémon under the ownership of a human trainer must be subjected to extreme control to prevent unfavourable circumstances. Furthermore, any trainer owning one of these beasts must carry a permit of satisfactory rank"_

In other words, a Cataclysmic Pokémon is one whose mere presence is enough to kill multiple people and cause disaster. They don't even have to do _anything_, simply being there is enough to cause the destruction. The only other Pokémon actually part of this category are Muk, Groudon and Kyogre, bringing it to a total of four. That's right; Vanilluxe is comparable to the gods who created land and sea!

But what makes it so dangerous? Well, it's clear isn't it? Vanillite could kill you with just a sneeze, and Vanillish could kill you instantly with just a touch. It has already been made apparent to you that this family is much, much stronger than average. At this final stage Vanilluxe's sheer icy power has gone out way out of control, causing itself to become perpetually surrounded in a freezing aura that reaches down into temperatures so cold that they do not naturally occur in nature. Any living thing that moves within five metres of Vanilluxe is frozen solid instantly without mercy, each and every little cell in their body frozen perpetually.

For many years it was illegal to own a Vanilluxe, and that was thanks to the disaster that occurred at the town of Little Woods in 1856.

Little Woods was a small town located at the south-western foothills of Twist Mountain. It was a mining community populated by foreigners who had come to dig up the mountain in search of valuable materials, something that would not happen until Clay was born. Their lifestyle was harsh but the people remained cheery in the hopes that their efforts would one day pay off. At the heights of its power Little Woods had a population of around 4862 humans and 542 domesticated Pokémon; leading to a total sum of 5404 residents.

During the middle of winter in 1856, three Vanilluxe came across Little Woods, and having never seen a human settlement before thought nothing about exploring right through it. By the time those Vanilluxe had moved on, everything within Little Wood had been frozen solid. Of the 5404 residents living there, 5330 of them died in a matter of hours, the entire town had been effectively wiped off of the map. The 34 people who had survived were a group of miners who had decided to stay in the mineshafts for an extra hour to enjoy a bottle of whiskey. When they returned back to Little Wood, they found that "_The entire town had become motionless. Even though it looked like people and Pokémon had been walking up and down the street, they stood frozen to the stop as though time had been paused. Even the hot baths had become solid ice, the people trapped within appearing like mannequins though the ice. When I entered my house and found my wife and son, I couldn't even see my reflection in their frozen, glazed over eyeballs."_

Even to this day it has been considered one of the worst disasters to ever happen in the history of Unova. And due to the figuratively and literally chilling effects it has had, I don't think it will ever be forgotten. Both Tornadus and Thunderus are still hated for the massacres they committed hundreds of years ago.

It gets even worse than that. Keep in mind that happens when Vanilluxe isn't even doing anything. When Vanilluxe starts to take a battle seriously; that's when things get dangerous. That pipe sticking out of Vanilluxe's head isn't just a fancy decoration. With this Vanilluxe can spew out colossal snow clouds and cover the entire area in a violently raging snowstorm. If you aren't prepared for the blizzard the moment it happens you may find yourself quickly succumbing to hypothermia.

Due to the astounding threat Vanillite poses towards humanity, it is illegal to capture or own a Vanilluxe unless you have had it chipped with an ETD, an Extreme Temperature Disperser. This device prevents the Pokémon it is attached to from producing temperature past a set limit. In other words, so long as Vanilluxe remains chipped it cannot produce lethal temperatures anymore. Chipping Vanilluxe itself is a very difficult procedure so it is recommended that you have it chipped as a Vanillish beforehand. Please note that Vanilluxe can still freeze you solid should you come into contact with it, so you need to remain aware of that.

On top of that you have to be 18 years of age and carry a Dangerous Pokémon permit. To get that permit you'll have to attend a part time course at a College or tertiary education institute. It requires a lot of time and effort to make it possible to own a Vanilluxe and for good reason too!

**Personality: **Despite being one of the most dangerous Pokémon alive, Vanilluxe isn't a member of the Dangerous Seven. That's because you need to be actively hostile and malicious towards humans to qualify. Even though it is highly dangerous until chipped with an ETD, Vanilluxe holds no malice towards humans and therefore cannot apply. Hydreigon, Jellicent and the others all actively try to hurt humans for no good reason, and that is why they are members. A more accurate name would've been 'The Seven Whom Are Dangerous Towards Humans' but that's a lame name.

Vanilluxe are generally very friendly, curious and carefree creatures. Even though they are very active and move about quite a lot, they aren't doing anything in particular. They prefer to wander around aimlessly for the majority of their lives rather than actually do something. The fact that they do not need to eat or sleep, have no interest in breeding and have no predators may explain this blatant despondency. After all, in the wild Vanilluxe would have very little to do in the barren scape of the heights of Twist Mountain!

Vanilluxe's home is very empty and boring, and that results in Vanilluxe being insanely excitable and curious when brought into human society. It'll want to touch and play with everything and will constantly whizz away to investigate some other interesting thing. If you've owned it since it was a Vanillite or Vanillish then this behaviour may be less prevalent due it its exposure beforehand.

While normally docile and good-natured, Vanilluxe have been known for their wrathful tempers which are disastrous even _when _Vanilluxe is chipped. Although the blizzards Vanilluxe will inevitably cause won't kill you, they will make a huge mess and cause a lot of trouble. It's recommended that you act submissively and diplomatically if you fear that Vanilluxe is annoyed or upset.

Please note that an odd Pokémon like Vanilluxe reacts to different things than what a human would. For example something like getting punched in the face would anger you, but Vanilluxe won't mind at all. Meanwhile someone starting a campfire wouldn't affect you, but Vanilluxe would be enraged. It might take you a while to pick up on how Vanilluxe reacts to things, trial and error you see.

**Lifespan: **Not a single natural death has been recorded for Vanilluxe, leading us to believe that it can live for as long as it wants. If it is injured it can freeze more ice onto itself to heal the damage, meaning it can endure attacks other Pokémon would not survive. If they are constantly within a hot biome such as the Unovan desert then they may live for a shorter period of time than their other peers, but we can't prove anything until one of them dies.

**Diet: **It doesn't need to eat thanks to a complete lack of organs, but they have shown an interest in consuming foods. The food always gets frozen and then sits inside their mouth until they spit it out again. It would seem they consider it a game.

**How To Bond: **Just like Vanillish, Vanilluxe's two googly faces are difficult to read; and that makes it difficult to determine how well your relationship is doing. With Vanilluxe you're going to have to try your best and hope it does well.

Of the few people who actually dare to own one of these things, many of them are put off by the threat of Vanilluxe's fearsome tantrums. While they are a huge and painful nuisance, they are easily avoidable by paying attention beforehand. Signs that Vanilluxe is about to lose it's cool include pouting and pulling grumpy faces, snorting mist huffily from its horn and moving about with unnecessary haste.

If Vanilluxe is displaying any of these behaviours you need to move quickly. First you need to figure out what is making Vanilluxe angry and eliminate it. If it's something that can't be dealt with then you should consider moving away from it. After that you need to focus on comforting Vanilluxe and calming it down. Try distracting it's mind with promises of vising fun places and buying cool toys to play with. Once the nuisance has been removed and Vanilluxe forgets about it then it'll perk up again. You may fail to calm Vanilluxe down the first few times, but that's because you're still learning. I promise that later on you will become skilled at dealing with them.

Many Pokémon become devoted and loyal to their trainer, some reaching almost maniacal fervour. But Vanilluxe are rather distant from their trainers and have a sort of… independency that other Pokémon do not exhibit. It may be a little cruel to say it, but Vanilluxe will not mourn your passing unless you were an astoundingly kind trainer.

Despite that apathy and it's tendency to wander off without regarding your welfare, Vanilluxe can still make a good friend so long as you know how to entertain it. They have a good sense of humour so you will get along well if you know how to crack good jokes. It would seem their favourite humour is slapstick humour so be sure not to let Vanilluxe develop a penchant for violence.

**Love: **No. Just no. First of all Vanilluxe is simply too dangerous to have as a mate and your efforts would be fruitless. In the eyes of the public Poképhilia is seen as slightly strange yet is accepted as normal; just like any other alternate lifestyle. But there are limitations as to what people will tolerate. No one will care if you marry your Mienfoo or Samurott or most other Pokémon, but if you mention your attempts to woo a Vanilluxe people will throw their arms up and say 'Oh _come on!'. _

I can't tell you what to do, this is a guide, not a rulebook. But I can honestly say that Vanilluxe is not worth your time or your misguided affection. Deerling's chapter is next, so why don't you hold the romance until then, hmm?

**Battling: **Excluding Articuno, Regice and Kyurem, Vanilluxe is the strongest Ice type Pokémon the world. A few explanations of this have popped up. Many Ice types are only part type, meaning that their strength is split between their Ice type allegiance and that of the other type. On top of that most pure Ice types such as Glaceon and Beartic are merely representations or references of Ice, rather than true Ice. Vanilluxe on the other hand is actual physical ice and nothing else. Keep in mind it's only a theory and hasn't been proven.

If you can successfully control Vanilluxe in battle then you will never have to fear losing a battle ever again. Even in its weakened state caused by the ETD it is tremendously strong and anything that doesn't resist it is going to be completely and utterly destroyed without mercy. Considering Dragons have a weakness to Ice, it is no surprise that they all turn their scaly tails and flee the moment Vanilluxe hovers into sight. The sight of a powerful and noble Pokémon such as Haxorus running away from a floating googly-faced ice cream is a hilarious spectacle to behold.

Even the Fire types, the bane of Ice types everywhere, can do little to slow an angry Vanilluxe down. I've heard tales of cocky young trainers sending Pokémon like Darmanitan and Emboar out against Vanilluxe, only to have them effortlessly killed alongside their foolish trainer. Apparently our new Champion Iris threw a tantrum as a young girl after being beaten in battle by a Vanilluxe, she accused it of being 'an overpowered icy monstrosity' and that 'it should be illegal to own one'. I won't deny that Vanilluxe is an unfairly overpowered Pokémon, but it is so dangerous and difficult to own that most people wouldn't even consider having one.

Blizzard is exactly what it sounds like, and Vanilluxe can use it to fearsome extent. This move is insanely powerful, put please note that it is dangerous and costly and should be used tactfully. If you don't watch what you're doing you could find yourself suffocating in the mounds of snow Vanilluxe will summon.

Sheer Cold is in the highest order of Ice types moves and it is illegal to use in official battles. The only time you're legally allowed to use it is against wild Pokémon, and even then you have to use it sparingly. This move could be considered an ice-themed nuclear bomb, the entire area is blasted with unrelenting power, causing the temperature to drop down into temperatures that are astronomically low.

Normally this move is simply a very power move with nothing special about it, but when used by Vanilluxe the effects are atrocious. When capped by the ETD it is strong enough to eradicate all organic creatures nearby it. Unless you can somehow get away in time after giving the order, you too kill be killed in the blast. You do not have any reason to use this move unless you need to kill others in self-defence, and even then it may cause extra collateral damage. Just _don't _use it at all, okay?

**With Fellow Pokémon: **You really have to be careful here. You need to tell your Pokémon directly that touching or angering Vanilluxe will get them killed. If you're in a psychopathic mood you could get Vanilluxe to kill a wild Pokémon by freezing it as an example. That should get the message across.

On top of that your Pokémon will likely dislike or distrust Vanilluxe for obvious reasons. Having such a lethal and dangerous person as an ally would be very unsettling indeed. And for goodness sake don't put it on the same team as a Dragon! Onlt bad things can happen if you were to make such a stupid mistake.

No matter how you look at it Vanilluxe is going to be discriminated against. Vanilluxe won't really care, so it doesn't matter. So long as it knows not to let anyone touch it then it should remain acceptable to own.

**Warnings: (!) **I've already make it evidently clear, Vanilluxe is one of the most dangerous Pokémon in existence. _Don't touch it. Don't anger it. And don't remove that ETD!_

**Summary: **Vanilluxe is deadly, dangerous, and a terrifyingly strong Pokémon. If you have one of these on your team then even the Elite Four will consider you a notable threat and you can collect gym badges like bottlecaps. But Vanilluxe is can kill you and all your Pokémon in the blink in the eye; it isn't registered as a CP for nothing. You _seriously _need to think long and hard about whether you want to run the danger of owning before you attempt to capture one or allow your Vanillish to evolve. Are you willing to surrender your life in exchange for battle supremacy?

**Next Time… Number 091 Deerling!**

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**A/N: NOPE NOPE NOPE. I don't care how powerful a Pokémon is, I won't use it if is that lethal. Maybe because I know It'd get me killed.**

**Were you expecting such a cute Pokémon to be so overwhelming? You assumed it was weak just because it doesn't look strong, didn't you… Please don't do that. Cute can be deadly you know. Ice cream can be deadly too, I think….**

**A hundred chapters, huh? That seems like quite a few, doesn't it. Did you know that this story is now larger than The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring? That's not a very large book though... This guide is diminutive to the other colossal walls of text you can find in the Pokemon fanfiction section.**


	102. 091 Deerling

**Number: **# 091

**Type: **Normal - Grass

**Species: **Seasonal

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Shikijika

**Description: **In the land of Unova, there exist several 'spirits' of the forest, each representing an aspect of the flora in our nation. These spirits are Petilil, Lilligant, Deerling, Sawsbuck and Virizion.

Petilil and Lilligant represent the quiet, peaceful aspect of the forest. The rustling of the trees in the wind, the flowers gracefully coming into bloom, that sense of calm you feel when you walk through Pinwheel Forest…. It all links back to those sweet flower girls. They also represent the bounty and beauty nature happily blesses us with.

Virizion on the other hand represents the elegant might of the forest. He is a man of virtue and justice and fights for the safety of everyone within the forest. Yet he is graceful, courteous and polite, and shows goodwill to all. But should you anger him, he can show you just how wrathful nature can become when wronged. Despite being blatantly and obviously male, he is rather effeminate and elegant, like Mother Nature itself.

Deerling and Sawsbuck follow the footsteps of Virizion, and their entire species shares a deep connection with him. If fact if it weren't for him, they would not be considered an aspect of the forest at all.

Before the 14th century Deerling and Sawsbuck were only Normal types and had no association with Grass at all. Truthfully they _did _still live in the forest back then, but they simply stomped through, at the flora and generally acted arrogantly as though they owned the place. Despite that attitude they were cowardly and shy, and fled from battle even when their numbers were large. Sawsbuck's original name was Cowardeer before it was changed a few centuries ago.

But then the massive civil war was sparked and Deerling and Sawsbuck quickly found themselves being swept up in the ensuing slaughter and madness that war brings. When the savage battling started a fire in the Moor of Iccirus, the Deerling and Sawsbuck found themselves trapped alongside everyone else in a situation or certain death. And that was when the Sacred Swordsmen appeared for the first time. Even though Cobalion was the one who lead everyone to safety; it was Virizion whom impressed them. It would seem that seeing Virizion's noble sense of justice and benevolence melted away the selfishness in their hearts.

Even though the fire had been put out, the war still raged fiercely. Knowing that only more suffering could come from the darkness of humanity the Sacred Swordsmen prepared themselves for battle and bring the war to an end. Many, many Deerling and Sawsbuck had died in the fire, but even so Sawsbuck were the first species to offer their assistance to the Sacred Swordsmen in their upcoming battle. Virizion was inspired by this, and thus he offered to share his knowledge and skills with them. While his fellow men Cobalion and Terrakion began their first skirmishes on human battlefields, Virizion stayed behind to prepare the eager Sawsbuck army. The Deerling were deemed too young to fight in battle.

Virizion is a man of the forest, and thus he taught the eager Sawsbuck through that nature. As time passed and the Sawsbuck grew from timid deer of cowardice into proud warriors of the forest, something odd began to happen. No one noticed at first due to the impeding pressure of the war, but once the Sacred Swordsmen and their allies returned peace to the land, it became evident that a huge change had occurred to the Deerling and Sawsbuck species; they had developed the secondary typing of Grass!

Please don't ask me how that makes sense. Last time I checked something like that defies the natural laws of physics, but many Pokémon do that on a daily basis. Either way Deerling and Sawsbuck are now part Grass type and that gives them a unique typing combination. Unfortunately that worked _against_ them, as now they have twice as many weaknesses as they had in the first place. I wonder if they're mad about that…

The forest is a place where change always occurs; and during the pass of the seasons these changes are drastic. And thus Deerling is greatly affected by these change is it too is altered each time a new season comes to pass. In the summer Deerling are viridian green, and give the scent of a fresh, warm flowers and freshly mowed grass. In autumn they turn a golden orange and smell earthy, like sweetly decomposing leaves on the forest floor. That may sound like it smells horrible, but Deerling actually makes it smell quite nice. In winter they turn a warm toasty brown and give the smell of pine leaves. Finally in the spring they turn bright pink and sweet of cherry blossoms. Please note that during the later months of spring when the mating season begins, Deerling may begin to smell like every scent you could possibly relate to sex.

Normally Pokémon who smell good or bad quickly become a problem. For example, few can tolerate the stench of Garbodor, and Lilligant's fragrance may smell nice at first, but soon it will become overpowering. Deerling's scent on the other hand remains slight but ever present all year round. It will always linger, but it will never become too strong (unless it's mating season, of course.)

Recently experiments were conducted to see what triggers Deerling's change. A recent theory proposed by that clueless Juniper suggested that it is caused by the humidity and temperature of their living conditions, while changes each season. So a group of Deerling were set up in an artificial indoor forest that mimicked the conditions of each season, but at different times in comparison to the real seasons. But no matter what they did Deerling stayed in the proper form for the season, even though the constant artificial changes had made it impossible for the Deerling to tell which season it truly was. The conclusion? Deerling's connection to nature is something so powerful humans cannot hope to interfere.

**Personality: **Even though Sawsbuck are now proud guardians of the forest, Deerling are still timid and shy. Even though they remain this way they are not cruel and selfish like they used to be. Deerling spend the first year of their life with their parents before being setting off into the wilderness alone. It is dangerous for a young Deerling to be alone for too long, but herds of Deerling are very, very common and it won't take long before the young Deerling finds a group to join.

Deerling are the epitome of bashfulness. While they always welcome their own species with smiles, they will flee from any other living thing that presents itself, even something like a Sewaddle. This means that Deerling herds are constantly on the move, making it hard to keep up with them. Many Sawsbuck kick themselves when they look back on how ridiculously cowardly there were as a Deerling.

Their fear of other Pokémon comes nowhere near their fear of humans and humanity. If they were to be frightened by a Pokémon they would flee for only a while before coming to rest again. But should a human present itself, they will not stop running until that human would be far far away. They avoid evidence of humans too, even harmless things such as bridges. While the other Sacred Swordsmen have little interest in the lives of humans, Virizion takes a secret liking to them. Woman's fashion magazines and other stylish knick-knacks have been found in his recently abandoned lairs. It would seem the Deerling are a little confused as to why the leader who took them to _battle _against the humans now collects their crap…

Speaking of that manly yet girly hero, Deerling look up to him very much; he is their idol and sets the standard that every Deerling wants to reach when they evolve into Sawsbuck. Due to their high beliefs of him they do not take kindly to criticism. Even if you've had Deerling for quite a while, should you speak badly of Virizion or dishonour him you will quickly find you face being smashed in by two cute little hooves. Deerling's hooves may be charmingly cute and dainty but they can easily shatter a human skull.

For nearly the whole year Deerling stick to their coy mannerisms; but during the mating season they suddenly become the most horny, perverse, lustful little sex maniacs in Unova, possibly even the _world. _ I'm not kidding about it either. In my third-to-last year of high school we had a spring camp in Pinwheel forest, and I ended up getting cornered by three Deerling who wanted it _really bad._ I don't want to elaborate any further. Even their dire fear of humans is thrown out the window as they look for someone to have as a mate.

When bonded with their trainer Deerling let out the true nature of their personality that would otherwise remain a secret. Sometimes they can be quite cheeky and will tease their trainer with cheesy grins and cries of '_Deer~ Deer~'. _Rough and tumble is too much for them, but some horseplay would be enjoyable.

**Lifespan: **A weak heart leads to an early grave and Deerling suffers from this. A lifespan of twenty four years isn't very long, and thus you might want to hurry up and help Deerling evolve already. That is if you can bear to part with Deerling's cute appearance of course.

**Diet: **Deerling's allegiance with nature now allows it to photosynthesis; it can now survive entirely off sunlight alone. However they still have a penchant for wild berries and eat them whenever they can. It can be difficult to get Deerling to trust you at first, so a steady stream of berries can provide a shortcut to Deerling's heart. They don't like anything else and anything produce by humans will make Deerling want to throw up. They even dislike the smells of human food. That's unsurprising, as sometimes Deerling _itself _appears on the menu.

**How To Bond: **Sawsbuck threw aside its fears along ago to defend its home from the warring humans; but Deerling still has a heart troubled by fear. This fear is mostly directed towards humanity, making it hard for a newly caught Deerling to trust its trainer.

For most species should a member be attacked or caught by a human the entire group would stop to fight for their friend. But Deerling herds will abandon any members who are attacked by humans and will not attempt to rescue them. This is because they strongly believe that humans are creatures that can easily massacre the entire herd, so it is better to sacrifice one member than have everyone die. The Deerling that you're trying to catch will try and run away too, so you will be hunting Deerling rather than catching it. On that note Deerling are fast and evasive creatures and by no means are easy to catch. Even if you are skilled in the art of Pokémon catching you may have to spend hours or even days stalking the same Deerling.

Of course the easiest solution to this would be to wait until mating season, where the _entire herd _will _want_ to go towards you; meaning you can catch as many as you want. Just be careful you don't get cornered and uh… what was the word… gangbanged?

Evidently Deerling isn't going to trust you in the slightest once you catch it and it will downright be terrified of you. With this in mind your first meeting should be in an enclosed, calm, quiet environment. I know that you will be really excited to finally have Deerling in your hot little hands, but if you let it out of its ball straight away it's going to run away and never be seen again. If you patiently wait until you can let Deerling out in a secure location it won't be able to run away from you.

When first talking to Deerling don't smother it straight away. Keep your distance and talk calmly and politely. Even something such as using slang or crude words will be perceived as cruelty to poor Deerling. For the first days or even weeks you will need to repeat this process with Deerling, you shouldn't let it out until you are absolutely sure it trusts you. It may sound like your imprisoning Deerling, but this is a better alternative than letting it run away through town. I've heard of newly caught Deerling sprinting through cities in a panic only to get hit by cars. Accidents like that are very, very messy.

The first step of bonding is that it recognises you. At first all humans look the same to them, and it is only after spending some time with them before they can distinguish your face from anyone else's. Once they remember your face they never forget it though, and every time they see your face they will remember how you treated them at that time. That is why it is very important to be kind to them straight away.

The next step is when they are no longer nervous when you come visit them. At first Deerling may have leapt away or squealed in fright when you entered and avoided looking at you the whole time. When Deerling no longer shows fear and doesn't flinch when you hold out food, you know you've reached this step. It may even start glancing at you curiously.

The final step before release is when it looks _forward_ to seeing you. At this stage Deerling will come over smiling to nuzzle you or even kiss your leg as a greeting. These kinds of greetings are only used on other herd members whom Deerling trust almost unconditionally. By now you have won Deerling's trust and gratitude. Perhaps it got lonely if you left it alone too…

After that you can feel free to let Deerling out and wander about on its own. You could buy some colourful toys and play with Deerling; they are curious creatures and will enjoy being shown all kinds of cool things. This will also distract it from the idea of running away. At some point in time the idea of running away will inevitably be considered by Deerling, but you want Deerling to consider it a bad idea.

Even long after you have become a close companion to Deerling it will still not trust people. Taking it into the city where there are lots of people will cause it to freak out and get into trouble. Eventually Deerling can grow to stay calm in the presence of crowds, but you will need to get it used to much smaller groups of two or three at first. This is totally understandable of course, we have been deemed the enemy for over 700 years, and such a deep-seated impression is hard to change.

**Love: **When it comes to romance Deerling is bashful for most of the year. Have you ever had someone develop a crush on you at school, and even though it's obvious to everyone they like you they can't summon up to courage to even speak to you? They're always staring at you in class and they walk past your desk even when they don't need to, and when you look at them they always blush and turn away… That kind of behaviour describes a love-struck Deerling perfectly. Even though our species is the scariest thing in the world to a wild Deerling, once one has been caught and bonded properly suddenly we become the most precious thing in the world, and that opens a gateway to romantic admiration.

You could go straight ahead and confess your feelings to Deerling, but it might be so overwhelmed with emotion it might faint. Instead you might want to take it somewhere quiet and do the whole 'hold my hand, look in to my eyes, do you love me?' routine. Something slow-paced like that should work more effectively.

Once doubt is removed from Deerling's mind and it is comfortable being in an open relationship with you then things will run much smoother. They can be quite affectionate and don't like leaving your side, and will greet you with little kisses or nudges on your leg to express its happiness with being with you. Some Deerling act ditzy and flirty while others remain calm and prefer more, solid romance. It varies for each individual so you will need to determine yourself what kind of boy or girl your Deerling is.

During the later months of spring the mating season begins; and that's where things get a little… steamy. Screw that, they get _really _steamy! Even the most docile Deerling becomes a lust-addled maniac that will do almost anything to get laid. Seriously, these little guys have a staggering amount of libido and you couldn't possibly compete.

If you like Deerling that way this all sounds appealing, but you will tire of it very quickly. Deerling will be coming on to you every night at _least_, and its lusty obsession with you will quickly become disturbing. But I'm not going to elaborate any further. This is a How-To-Care-For-Your-Pokémon Guide, not a How-To-Screw-Your-Deerling Guide.

**Battling: **Deerling are accustomed to flighting not fighting. Flighting isn't a word, but you get the idea. It will take a lot of coaxing to convince Deerling to fight for you and even then it will do so begrudgingly. On top of that Deerling isn't that strong and it's typing of Normal – Grass leaves it with a lot of weaknesses that can't be avoided. If you want a reliable and willing battler you should evolve it into Sawsbuck.

Even though it's battling potential is rather underwhelming Deerling is still very fast and evasive, making it a very frustrating Pokémon to fight. Your main tactic should be to use those two talents to wear the enemy down until Deerling stands a chance at taking them down. Because of its reliance on speed faster Pokémon such as Cryogonal and Accelgor will be severe threats.

Camouflage is a move that let's Deerling temporarily change its typing to match the surroundings and thus alter its weaknesses. For example, using Camouflage in a watery environment would change Deerling's typing to Water. If your foe is a Fire type that was just rapidly pursuing you, then it is going to be the one in a tough situation.

When fleeing Deerling may kick up sand, leaves or gravel to distract the foe, and this can be interpreted as a Sand Attack as it has the same effects. Pulling a trick like this will make it harder to spot Deerling as it sneaks up to attack…

Leech Seed lets Deerling steal health from the foe, keeping it healthy while the enemy becomes worn out even quicker. You could be really cruel and use this on a fainted Pokémon, draining it of its last energy as it is defenceless. Bu that is a very heartless thing to do.

Jump Kick is a notably powerful move that deals a moderate amount of damage but beware; should Deerling miss it will be hurt by the fall and will probably be left defenceless as it lies crumpled on the ground.

Aromatherapy is wonderful healing move that alongside Healing Bell stands out from any other. This move heals the user alongside _all _allied Pokémon from status effects. An entire army could effectively be healed of a burn or paralysis should the need arise.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Deerling is suspicious of other species, but it will come to trust some species such as Patrat very quickly. This is because it is accustomed to seeing these species around the forest and it does not consider them to be some foreign monster like everyone else.

If Deerling trusts you, it will shyly hide behind your leg as you introduce it to newly caught Pokémon. When you have a new member aboard your little rag-tag group Deerling will be unwilling to leave your side for any moment of time. Deerling won't approach anyone new alone, and if they approach it will flee in panic. The only way to get Deerling to start interacting with other Pokémon is to sit down with both of them and get them to play peacefully. For some species this will be easy, but for others it will be a very difficult task.

I guess so long as Deerling spends a lot of time on the same team as them and they don't' appear to be particularly scary or dangerous then Deerling will grow accustomed to their presence, but that is still different from trusting them. At the very least Deerling isn't going to go around trusting dangerous strangers now, is it?

**Warnings: **Try not to restrain Deerling in a physical manner when first meeting it. It will certainly panic and may lash out at you, causing injury. Remember, Deerling isn't' very strong by Pokémon standards but it can break human bones like balsa wood.

On a second note, I advise against letting Deerling sleep in your bedroom during mating season. You will regret it, I can assure you.

**Summary: **Deerling is a kind Pokémon that can make a worthwhile friend and while it is not currently strong, it can become a proud warrior once it evolves. It is not without drawbacks however, it is difficult to capture and difficult to tame once caught. On top of that it can be an extreme nuisance when _that _time of the year comes along. But Deerling is a recommendable Pokémon for any intermediate trainer. If you catch one, you should raise it to be a defender of justice that would make Virizion proud.

**Next Time… Number 092 Sawsbuck!**

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**A/N: This is a monstrously large chapter… But isn't Deerling a little cutie? I spend days patiently trying to catch one if they were real. But that whole mating issue… say, I wonder if I could make some money of inventing a chastity belt for Deerling? Jeez, what the hell am I talking about… **

**Aside from Emonga, Joltik, Mienfoo and Keldeo there aren't any 'cute' Pokémon to write about which is a little sad since I'm a sucker for them. But handsome Pokémon like Mienshao, Bouffalant and the Sacred Swordsmen alongside grim Pokémon such as Jellicent and Chandelure are fun to write about too. **


	103. 092 Sawsbuck

**Number: **# 092

**Type: **Normal - Grass

**Species: **Seasonal

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Mebukijika

**Description: **Next time you're in Pinwheel Forest pay attention to the rubbish bins next to the path; you'll notice that under the words 'Please don't litter' is an angry-looking Sawsbuck head. Why is that there? Because if a Sawsbuck catches you littering inside the forest; it'll smash your skull in.

Sawsbuck are the proud and noble defenders of nature, who follow in the footsteps Virizion has left behind for them. Virizion is the guardian of nature and it is up to him to protect the forests from troublesome humans, but few people disturb the peace of the forest nowadays so Virizion doesn't really need to do his job anymore. If he catches humans causing trouble he _will _still punish them, but events like that are becoming rarer and rarer. You could say he's been put out of work.

But Sawsbuck still adamantly continue on from where Virizion stopped. They march throughout the forests of our nation in small groups, making sure that peace is held and nature is not defiled by humans _or _Pokémon. The direction upon which way they migrate coincides with the passing of the seasons. This routine of migration has been strictly followed for quite some time now and no Sawsbuck dares to work against it, excluding captured ones. For example, if you lived in the southern area of Unova you would only see Sawsbuck in its summer form, and if you lived in the east you would only ever see the autumn form. You would only see them at the specific season they were set to arrive too. Some people stalk the Sawsbuck herds as they move across the country just to document how their behaviours change during the seasons and climate. According to their summary Sawsbuck doesn't change at all; excluding the dreaded mating season of course.

The way they act gives the impression that they are always busy fighting for justice; but in reality they have as little work cut out for them as Virizion does. To be completely honest they themselves are aware that they don't need to work so hard to protect the forest, but it has become part of their tradition that has been passed down from the very first recruits who helped the Sacred Swordsmen in the war. Seven hundred years of tradition is a little hard to break away from; even if it no longer serves a purpose.

Sawsbuck's physique is still subject to change each season except this time it is much more obvious. In summer two obnoxiously large shrubs grow out from the top of Sawsbuck's antlers. These bushes grow from seeds that lie dormant in the very tip for most of the year, but burst into life at the dawn of spring. It was thought for a while that these seeds were parasitic in nature; but it was recently proven that they are born from a special type of mitosis that only Sawsbuck's cells do. Animal cells creating plant cells? Our world is so strange…

In autumn these bushes begin to fade and hang graciously; turning into a glorious display of multiple brazen colours. Sawsbuck's autumn appearance is so over-the-top and drastic that quite a few fashion models have made equally ridiculous costumes like it. A Sawsbuck hat was quite popular for a period of time until people realised you couldn't fit through a doorway while wearing it.

In winter those silly bushes fall out to reveal Sawsbuck's snow white antlers. On top of that large tufts of fur grow along the neck and legs for extra protection in the colder months. Needless to say boots based on that leg fluff have been invented. They're actually pretty sexy.

Finally in spring that excess fur falls off and the tiny seeds in Sawsbuck's head burst into flowers resembling cherry blossoms. In addition to that Sawsbuck becomes skinnier and more agile within these seasons.

Have you heard of the DAA? It stands for Deceptive Appearances Association. In simple terms it's a group of people who share a love of Pokémon who appear to be one gender but actually are another. For example some of their prized Pokémon are Male Gardevoir and Lopunny, and female Machamp and Conkeldurr. Weird, eh? Anyway, last year that group chose a spring Sawsbuck as their icon; to signify Sawsbuck's effeminate appearance in that season. Considering that male Sawsbuck are mocked to a cruel degree from all the other forest wildlife during springtime anyway, they were _not _amused.

**Personality: **Even when warned beforehand new trainers are always taken by surprise when their timid little Deerling evolves into a serious, brave Sawsbuck. It won't even run in terror from a Patrat anymore, I promise!

Seriously though, Sawsbuck is nowhere near cowardly or silly like it used to be as a Deerling. Upon evolving it has stepped up to fulfil its duty to nature and its obligation to Virizion. If your Sawsbuck was evolved from a Deerling you already owned then it will have no issue obeying you straight away. Even though its role in this world is that of a natural guardian, it will have already surrendered that future when it chose to follow you. Alternatively if your Sawsbuck was caught straight from the wild then it will be torn between serving you and serving its obliged duties. It may even resent you for interfering, so your first period of time together will focus on bridging that gap.

Sawsbuck is a species that enjoys tradition and routine. They are content with living a lifestyle that has been predetermined by their ancestors. On the contrary they hate it when events occur that force them to alter their routine or worse yet abandon it completely. This is why the Sawsbuck dislike Reshiram a little. As you now know the Sawsbuck adamantly migrate to different locations based on the seasons. If Reshiram wants to use his strongest attacks, he needs to use up the power stored in his tail. When this happens weather patterns across the world are sometimes distorted or altered considerably. Unsurprisingly this alters the change of the seasons and in turn disrupts Sawsbuck's peaceful routine.

As a comparison imagine someone altering your alarm so it always goes off an hour early, or an hour late. Or altered your school timetable so you missed out on lunchtime every day. It wouldn't matter if the person responsible was legendary, you'd still be pissed off at them. It doesn't really matter if they don't like him, because their courteous attitude ensures they act with respect towards him anyway.

Just like the Sacred Swordsmen Sawsbuck have a very strong sense of justice and refuse to stand by while someone else suffers. They are also disgusted by those who act with malicious intent, and they insist on doing everything the fair way. In addition to that they have kind, venerable hearts and love to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. If they saw a weak Pokémon being attacked by a larger bully, they would rush to its defence, severely punish the criminal, and then assist the victim to get back onto their feet. Due to this benevolent nature Sawsbuck are very popular with all of the other species throughout the forest.

This means that attempting to catch a Sawsbuck is a very risky thing. They always stick together to form closely bonded herds and rarely move out of each other's sight; meaning that you will always be fighting multiple Sawsbuck instead of just one. Worse yet all of the local Pokémon who respect the Sawsbuck will decide to fight against you as well. What may have started out as a battle between you and Sawsbuck will quickly turn into a battle of you against five Sawsbuck, twelve Pansage, a Simipour, twenty four Patrat, three Watchog and a Leavanny. Things can get messy real quickly if you aren't careful in the wild…

It would also seem that some of Virizion's social quirks may have rubbed off onto the Sawsbuck species at some stage, because sometimes they exhibit the same formal attitude as him. As an example they might bow courteously when receiving a gift from their trainer, or when saying goodbye. And they get excited for battle and relish in the 'clashing of swords'. I can't tell whether they're being rabid fanboys or have just adopted that attitude, but either way it has no bad effects.

**Lifespan: **If you associate yourself with legends, you too will become legendary. Sawsbuck's close contact with the Sacred Swordsmen has given rise to many crazy theories and tall tales surrounding this species. Once of those tales tell of how Sawsbuck can live for hundreds of years, and upon reaching 500 years of age will turn a brilliant gold and ascend to the skies. Of course this is a lie. At most Sawsbuck reach about 80 years of age before dying. However, there has been at least one confirmed case where a Sawsbuck lived for up to 140 years of age.

**Diet: **Back before the 14th century when Sawsbuck were still known as Cowardeer, they were gluttonous and voraciously ate the greenery without regard for anyone else. After their transformation into part Grass types they can now survive of photosynthesis, and as atonement for their previous gluttony that is now their main source of nutrition. However they still love the taste of fresh berries. If you really want to have Sawsbuck neatly wrapped around your finger, give it amounts of yummy berries frequently.

**How To Bond: **Ah, this is really difficult to classify. Did you own it as a Deerling, or was it just caught from the wild? When you obtained it is a very important deciding factor.

Once bonded Sawsbuck are very loyal to their trainers, as they begin to see you as some sort of high authority. So if you had evolved it from a Deerling and you had bonded well with then it will be very loyal and affectionate to you indeed. Despite their loyalty Sawsbuck are typically a serious and individual species that maintain some sort of dignity apart from their trainer; but in this circumstance Sawsbuck will be much more affectionate and doting that what it would if you had just caught it from the wild.

If you had battled Sawsbuck and taken it from the wild then your relationship together will start off rough. It will likely be mad at you for ruining it's lifestyle and may perceive you as some sort of villain. Your first task will be to convince Sawsbuck that you are a kind person and that it is more worthwhile to stick with you than return to the wild. You can easily do this by treating your Pokémon kindly and make it evident you love them very much. Sawsbuck know genuine kindness when they see it. In addition to that you can show Sawsbuck that sticking with you will give it the opportunity to partake in many battles. They relish in friendly battling against competitors so this will warm your Sawsbuck up to you quite quickly.

Once that initial bad taste has been take care of, you need to solidify your relationship with Sawsbuck. As lonesome and tough as they look, Sawsbuck rely on the companionship of others to support itself. In other words you need to convince Sawsbuck that you will always be there for it in both good and bad times. If Sawsbuck feels alone or as though it does not belong then it will become depressed and reclusive.

Something as simple as helping Sawsbuck up after a battle or taking the time to clean its antlers or hooves can get that message across. In herds of wild Sawsbuck those who go the extra mile for their allies become the most precious members of all. Convincing Sawsbuck that you are the most precious person it has is the pinnacle of trust you could attain.

Sawsbuck is the kind of Pokémon who likes to stand by its master's side, so once the bonding process is done you will find that Sawsbuck will follow you everywhere and stand with you as though it's waiting for a command. This is Sawsbuck's way of showing that it is loyal and that it loves you. It will stay quiet on its own but will really appreciate it if you engage in conversation. That way it will know that you're treating it as a person rather than an object.

**Love: **A loyal Pokémon readily becomes a love-struck Pokémon and Sawsbuck is no exception. If you confessed your love to Sawsbuck don't be surprised if it fell over in surprise or happiness! At that time, Sawsbuck would be thinking something along the lines of: '_Thank Arceus, master loves me! My happy dreams are going to come true~'_ As pleased as it is Sawsbuck will still try and stay calm. But for its sake you should encourage it to be as open about its feelings as it wants to.

Sawsbuck's loyalty carries onto romance too, meaning that it will consider you it's only mate for the rest of its life. Please take that into consideration before you go promising Sawsbuck anything.

Poor Sawsbuck is still affected by the powers of the mating season; but fortunately it does not become a maniac like before. It still has the desire to breed; it just shows a huge amount of self-control. Since you have made yourself Sawsbuck's mate, you're obviously the first and possibly only choice it has when it comes to mating. It will never resort to rape; but it's barely controlled urges will be blatantly obvious. Especially when it's rubbing itself against a wall with gritted teeth.

On a last note, please don't try to fit Sawsbuck into bed with you. That last guy who tried that got his pelvis broken like a fortune cookie. Ouch.

**Battling: **Sawsbuck really do enjoy a good battle and it shows too. Instead of running and hiding like a Deerling Sawsbuck charge straight into battle and fight nobly. They generally have a rule about not stopping until every foe has been defeated, but they prioritize the safety of allies over victory.

Its starts are well balanced but it is quite agile and nimble in battle, perhaps not as much as before. A good tactic for Sawsbuck would be to leapt in, deal damage and then leap out again. Wildly throwing Sawsbuck in to smash everyone will get it beaten down and worn out too quickly. In the war hundreds of years ago Sawsbuck mostly fought as guerrilla warriors in the forest, hiding between the trees and striking human soldiers when their backs were turned. The Sacred Swordsmen were the only ones who actually fought on battlefields. You should consider this for your Sawsbuck before battling.

Back when Virizion trained the Sawsbuck how to fight, some Sawsbuck tried imitating his Sacred Sword behind his back. They failed to do so, but in the process they created a move that they alone now possess; Horn Leech. With this move Sawsbuck brutally strikes the foe much like Sacred Sword, but it also saps a portion of the foes strength. With Sawsbuck can keep itself healthy even after a long hard battle. This is a fantastic move and you should use it when you can.

Other than Horn Leech, Nature Power is another good move to use. Nature Power calls upon the land itself to aid the user in battle. The type and strength of this move depends of where exactly you're using it. For example in a forest this move becomes Seed Bomb, but on water it becomes Hydro Pump. Keep that in mind when using it; otherwise it may do something unfavourable.

As a last resort you could use Solar Beam, a very powerful move that takes some time to charge before becoming useful. It is a devastating attack but the time it takes to charge leaves Sawsbuck open to attack. You should wait until the enemy can't retaliate before using this move.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Loyal Pokémon often clash with each other for their master's attention and affection but Sawsbuck doesn't mind coming in second place next to Samurott or Scolipede. It will not, however, allow itself to be pushed around and will administer a sharp punishment to anyone who dares do so.

Due to its kind and helpful nature Sawsbuck will quickly become popular among your other Pokémon and will receive a lot of praise from its peers. It might be made happy by this fact, but it will not let the adoration get to its head. At best it will simply nod in acknowledgement before moving on to sit at your side. Smaller naïve Pokémon such as Patrat may develop a little crush on your strong, handsome Sawsbuck.

However Pokémon who have villainous hearts such as Liepard may resent Sawsbuck, as they will perceive it as some soppy goody-two-shoes that everyone glorifies. It will get _worse _if Sawsbuck is closer to you than the Pokémon in question. For everyone's sake you should try to identify budding jealousy and nip it before it grows into full-blown hatred.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Sawsbuck is a wonder, powerful, kind and loyal Pokémon that everyone loves. Whether you want reliable fighter, a close friend, or a loving mate Sawsbuck can fill up any role you have in mind. There are few repercussions for owning one and they ask for very little in return. And feeding it is optional!

I personally recommend this Pokémon as an overall lovely creature. Fight on Sawsbuck, you diligent warrior of Virizion's will!

**Next Time… Number 093 Emonga!**

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**A/N: Sawsbuck is such a lovely Pokémon. Although I think the summer/autumn bushes are a little over the top. I'd have to say the spring form is personally my favourite. Ah, so Emonga is up next huh? Rastan, if I die from a massive nosebleed while writing about the lovely little Emonga I'm leaving the guide in your care~**

**On an unrelated note, Happy Zangoose Day everybody! The 9****th**** of March is Zangoose day if you didn't know, and day where the Japanese Pokémon fandom celebrates the awesome Pokémon known as Zangoose; particularly by drawing a crap-ton of pictures and comics of it. I bet you didn't know that until know, huh?**

**It's strange that Zangoose gets its own day of celebration, but Zangoose is one of my favourites so I don't care.**


	104. 093 Emonga - Emolga

**Number: **# 093

**Type: **Electric - Flying

**Species: **Sky Squirrel – Flying Squirrel

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Emonga

**Description: **These little critters are possibly the cutest Pokémon in Unova, if you're willing to ignore Joltik.

The Emolga species is one of the most thriving and successful species to spread across Unova. Most species have some sort of struggle or obstacle they must overcome in order to survive, let alone thrive, but Emolga faces no such trepidation. It's a little strange considering Emolga has no natural advantage over its fellow wild Pokémon. A lot of theories have been put forward to explain this unusual phenomenon but no real conclusions have occurred.

Emolga make their homes in the treetops throughout all of Unova, and I mean _all _of Unova. North, east, south or west you'll find their little faces peeping at you from above. Some people find that slightly disconcerting, but Emolga is a much safer alternative to all the other dangerous creatures lurking in our world. The majority of their life is spent in the treetops and way up in the sky far from the land. They very rarely move down onto the ground unless it is to forage for food or confront unwelcome invaders moving through their territory.

Typically they are mischievous yet peaceful creatures and most people and Pokémon can move through their territory without issue. But should someone make a bad name for themselves in the area the Emolga will be inclined to attack them for justice or for fun, or maybe if they were affected by the aforementioned bad person's actions. Upsetting a group of Emolga can range from causing a nuisance to causing a chaotic riot. Normally when defending their territory they will hide in the treetops and snipe from hidden locations. Considering that Emolga groups can reach up to 40 members large, you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed by barrages of countless Electric attacks zapping you all at once.

One foreign researcher described an Emolga attack as "_the wrath of an entire summer thunderstorm, all focused directly on me and my Pokémon. You could barely see through the blinding light of countless thunderbolts furiously striking the ground." _Even Marshall, a member of the Elite Four had to flee from a pack of angry Emolga after his morning workout disturbed their sleep. If they actually come down onto the ground to confront you, you should expect the worst possible situation. Emolga may be cute and on its own is relatively harmless, but in packs they can be _very _dangerous.

Perhaps that's why they have done so well. They stay close to each other and keep themselves well hidden from the rest of the world. Any interference with their lives results in retaliation of the highest degree. You could almost consider them a secret society, thriving up in the treetops where peering eyes cannot see. I wonder what other secrets are hidden within the treetops where they live?

As is expected of an Electric type, Emolga needs to produce electricity in order to fight and generally survive. Many electric types have their own unique way of producing power and Emolga is one of them. When Emolga opens its patagium (those flappy things) to fly, air rushes under the pataguim and thus keeps Emonga supported in the air. This is the same way aeroplanes work; air rushes under the wings and that movement of air keeps them flying. You didn't believe they just hovered there, did you?

For Emolga, when that air rushes under the patagium it generates and electric force that is stored away in those cute little cheek spots on its face. I bunked biology class so I never learnt how, but Electric types have their own way of magnifying the amount of energy they have stored within their body. With this Emolga can turn the measly amount of energy gained from flying into something fearsome. If Emolga is enraged to the point of bloodlust it can strike a human dead in a heartbeat. Something like that is extremely rare though, so unless you are an infamous poacher Emolga will have no interest in badly hurting you.

**Personality: **In the wild Emolga are carefree but hardworking. They do everything they need to, to ensure that their family will survive and be able to manage any threats or issues that may arise. But once that has been taken care of they spend the rest of their time flitting about the treetops playing games and having fun. When encountering Emolga in the wild people end up believing that the Emolga they have met are very serious; but in reality they love playing and toying with humans and have a great deal of fun doing so. They still normally stay out of sight though, so you may not even realise you're in the company of a group of playful Emolga. Trying to catch an Emolga will prove to be a savage battle so befriending one is a much better method. The only issue is convincing it to reveal itself…

But when captured by a human Emolga generally throw their serious side away as they believe that you will now take care of everything. From then on it won't really consider working to benefit the rest of the group. This gives the impression that Emolga is a lazy slob but that is not true. If you are failing to support your Pokémon and keep them fed then Emolga will step up and gather food and help everyone survive in your stead. If Emolga appears to be lazy and unhelpful; then it's an indication that you're a good trainer. If Emolga is working hard for everybody, then you're doing something wrong.

Due to their fanciful spirit they get bored quickly and will invent their own little games to keep themselves entertained. In addition to that they are social creatures and crave interaction with others. Even if Emolga is furious with you for catching it, it will eventually forgive you and become friendly just so it can avoid the unbearable solitude of being alone. Even though they don't admit it, they love being cuddled and snuggled like babies.

Emolga are ever so slightly mischievous in a lewd way. If you were to bathe in a natural body of water such as a lake Emolga will steal all your clothes on the shore and hide them, laughing its furry ass of as it follows you running around the forest naked; searching for them like some demented Easter Egg hunt.

**Lifespan: **A healthy age for an Emonga to die would be about 60 years of age. That's pretty decent considering the size of them, most Pokémon their height wouldn't last so long. Electric types are generally more robust than other Pokémon anyway…

**Diet: **Emolga are considerably gluttonous and love to pig out on piles of berries and apples. They way your Emolga acts at mealtimes may give the appearance that it needs huge quantities of food to live, but in reality it can easily survive of meagre amounts.

It's up to you to decide whether you want to lavish Emolga with copious amounts of food or force it to deal with reality and eat normal amounts. Emolga may get mad it if can't make its cheeks bulge with the food you supply, but catering to Emolga's demands will quadruple your food bill. Ahh, but it' so cute! You must be blind or pure evil if you can resist Emolga's charming gaze.

**How To Bond: **Emolga tend to be a species who warm up to their new trainers very quickly, and you don't need to worry about any of those 'extra' demands that other Pokémon expect. They are an amazingly cute species and Emolga knows this all too well. With this in mind Emolga may use its cuteness to allure you into giving in to its desires. Emolga may be cute, but don't let that turn you into its doting human slave. Alternatively you can use Emolga's cuteness against it! They really let praise get to their head so drowning it with remarks of how cutesy and adorable it is will fill its heart with pride and make it feel closer to you.

Other than that you should spend a deal of time playing fun games with Emolga. That's what they live for and it's what they take pride in. Who's the best flyer in Unova? Who can balance the most Oran barriers on their nose? Who's the best at table-tennis, the answer is always Emolga! Try introducing it to some fun fresh games that it hasn't learnt before. If Emolga feels that you aren't interesting in sharing fun with it, it might get a little sad. Who else is going to spend time with lonely little Emolga?

Other than that you need to keep Emolga fed and loved and it'll stay perfectly fine in your care. Once they trust their trainers they are doting and loyal and love to perch on their trainer's arms or shoulders ready to show off.

**Love: **Ahh, I can see why you want to marry Emolga. While they don't exactly make the most useful husbands or wives their cute appeal makes up for that. Sometimes Emolga can be a little selfish but when it comes to romance they are fully interested in the welfare of their partner. Their lives are filled with playtime, but they won't stop until their mate is satisfied for the day. Emolga is more than willing to sacrifice all its spare time to pleasing with you; so make sure to return the favour by loving Emolga very much. They do expect to gain _some _love out of your relationship after all.

**Battling: **They have little interest in battling but will fight to their last breath to defend their trainer or home. While a single one cannot emulate the terrifying power that a whole group can, they are capable battlers on their own. May I remind you that they are very, _very _quick and very, _very _evasive. In an aerial battle they are nought but a blur striking savagely at the foe with bolts of lightning. In addition to that they only have two weaknesses. Rock moves are very common and are something you need to be aware of, but Rock type Pokémon are generally slow and won't have the opportunity to hit Emolga.

Emolga's main game is Electric attacks and Charge caters to this need. Any Electric attacks used after this move will be twice as powerful. If you have the time to use this move you can really unleash hell on your opponents.

Double Team is one of the most hated moves in competitive battling and for good reason too. With this move Emolga will be nigh invulnerable to being hit. Here's a good set up for you; buy the TM Thunder Wave and teach it to Emolga. If you can paralyse the foe and slow it down with this move and then get a few Double Teams out there, then you can consider the battle already won!

If your foe is a user of evade raising or accuracy lowering moves, then Shock Wave is a good counter. This move lets out a blast of energy that strikes foes even when they should not normally be hittable. All those cruel Minimize-spamming Staryu will no longer be of concern.

The strength of Electro Ball is determined by how fast Emolga is in comparison to the foe. Emolga is an obscenely fast Pokémon as it is, so anything with under-average speed will be obliterated into dust.

If Emolga simply can't survive under the foes attacks Volt Switch is a great way to escape. With this move Emolga can deal a good amount of damage _and_ flee back into its Pokeball, to be instantly replaced by another Pokémon. As an alternative Emolga can simply flee for a moment and come back to fight.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Even though they get along well with others and work hard for everyone's sake, they tend to develop jealousy issues when other Pokémon get close to you. Be very careful in regard to that, Emolga will plan on removing any competition with vengeance. You only have two options to resolve this, either remind everyone else that Emolga is the most important Pokémon to you, or insist that everyone is equally important. The second option would be best unless Emolga is your mate; upon which there really is no alternative.

Jealousy aside they make friends easily and love to have lots of other Pokémon to play with. Once they have friends they take very good care of them and the other Pokémon will appreciate it. They might pull a couple of sneaky pranks, but nothing too dire should come of it.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Overall Emolga is a wonderful Pokémon that makes a great companion and a decent battler. If there's a hole if your life, Emolga can certainly fill that for you. You'll be happy to wake up and see Emolga's cheery face greeting you every morning! If… I hadn't vowed to never own a Pokémon again I would get one myself…

**Next Time… Number 094 Karrablast!**

* * *

**A/N: "Emonga, will you marry me?" – If I caught a male Emonga that would be the first thing I'd say to it. Well, perhaps not the first thing. **

**Emolga is my faaaavourite Pokémon excluding legendaries. Isn't it just the most adorable squeeable thing that has ever existed? That was a test. If you said no, please see your optometrist for an eyesight checkup. I think you'll look good with glasses. **

**Since I always call it by the Japanese name Emonga, it was a deep psychological battle to constantly use that horrid dub name. Emonga! Emonga! Emonga!**

**I'm aware that it isn't a very strong Pokémon and in competitive play it's only use if for screwing with the enemies; but I don't care. I'm only concerned with how cute a Pokémon is rather than how strong it is, after all. **

**If you'll pardon me for a moment, I'm going to go clean up my nosebleed. **


	105. 094 Karrablast

**Number: **# 094

**Type: **Bug

**Species: **Clamping – Bite Down

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Kaburomo

**Description: **"Why, you little Karrablast!" – Have you heard of that remark before? It's very popular in downtown Castelia. Karrablast are a species that are infamous for being thieves; so it is quite common for people to be called a Karrablast should they be caught stealing.

Three hundred years ago most of Unova had been filled to the brim with humans, but the very south-west of the continent remained a 'wild frontier' left in the rapidly advancing world. When people first came to explore that hidden away area, they discovered Karrablast for the first time. While the discovery was exciting at the time, it quickly became a nuisance after the Karrablast began pinching all of the colonist's tools and supplies. After a long day of cutting down trees for housing and firewood they might return to their camp to find Karrablast hastily running off with their things, upon which they would angrily cry something like: "You damn Karrablast!"

Unhappy with the state of things, the settlers began fighting back against the Karrablast, driving them away. All of the Unfezant they brought with them proved to be far too strong for the Karrablast to handle, and far too quick for them to flee from. With the Karrablast swiftly forced away, their absence made things easier for those settlers; but they had invariably forced the Karrablast to populate the _rest_ of Unova. All across the nation complaints quickly arose of strange little blue creatures running off with people's stuff. After that, parents started telling their children that the little blue ones would steal _them _away in the middle of the night if they weren't good little children.

Even for all this time Karrablast has remained a little thief, grabbing anything and everything that isn't nailed down. But why are they such compulsive stealers, you ask? Well you see, Karrablast are a very weak and defenceless Pokémon; and it is only their sheer numbers and determination to breed that pulls their species through. The Karrablast are very aware of their taxing situation and thus they came to a simple conclusion – Steal the neighbouring Shelmet's armour. It would solve their dilemma, and to be frank they didn't care what happened to the Shelmet afterwards. And so new-born larvae Karrablast are taught by their parents how to efficiently steal; so one day they could secure their own armour. It's typical for parents to teach their children tactics for survival; that is what parents are there for after all. They also train them how to fight, because obviously Shelmet isn't going to just hand its armour over, is it?

To their surprise the Karrablast found that much more had changed than what they had originally anticipated; it would seem they had evolved into an entirely new form! It is obscenely rare for a Pokémon to _invent _its own evolutionary form, so many professors still prattle about this is in biology classes throughout every university. Is it really that exciting? In my opinion it doesn't really matter how a Pokémon evolves, so long as evolution is the end result then the method shouldn't be worried about. Unless it involves sacrificial murder; then something's going wrong.

Even though it's only Shelmet's armour they need to steal, they are still obsessed with taking other things anyway. Because of that they are shunned by both people and other Pokémon. No one wants a thief in their midst after all. Due to that the Karrablast tend to keep to themselves and even though they're the suspicious ones, they treat people who approach them with suspicion. That's probably because some people might try getting revenge on the Karrablast that stole from them. If you stole something, afterwards you'd probably be wary of anyone that approached you too.

**Personality: **Their most defining personality traits are their selfishness and apathy towards other creatures. They are more than willing to leave a Shelmet to die after they've stolen its armour. Fortunately Shelmet evolves into a much more competent Accelgor and will be far from dead, but it doesn't change Karrablast's cruel attitude.

This attitude will extend onto you for quite some time too. Are you getting mercilessly beaten up by a pack of Krokorok? Never mind that, Karrablast can steal your watch! And maybe if it can find your trainer ID then it can steal your identity too; and run off to live with your mum!

I was kidding about that last one by the way; please don't think Karrablast will steal your identity. Unless you're hideously ugly no one would mistake Karrablast for you anyway.

But seriously, Karrablast just can't keep its little mitts to itself. It's become part of its instinctual psyche to impulsively grab things as it walks past them. That's why Karrablast are banned from most shops. Children in shopping trolleys are infamous for grabbing things off shelves, but Karrablast are even worse. You'll find your trolley filled with all sorts of random crap you would never think of buying. They actually have no concepts of possession or ownership and thus cannot understand why everyone else thinks stealing is wrong. If Karrablast takes something in your possession, it is now Karrablast's possession! So why are you upset that Karrablast now has something you don't! Are you jealous? – That's how Karrablast sees things.

They also get angry very easily and snap out with their little fangs. You can tell when someone has upset a Karrablast, because you will see lots of little bite-marks all along their lower leg. Once a Karrablast latches onto you it is extremely difficult to get it off without hurting yourself in the process. They aren't called the Clamping Pokémon for nothing.

But generally they are docile creatures that keep to themselves and mind their own business so long as there isn't anything nearby to steal. But even then it is rare for them to appear happy or cheerful.

**Lifespan: **Karrablast are weak and they don't live for very long, eight years being the maximum; but if it can evolve into Escavalier it can survive much longer than that. This is why they are so desperate to steal Shelmet's armour away from it.

**Diet: **Small berries, nuts and other woodland foodstuffs make up Karrablast's diet, meaning it generally has no trouble finding food; Especially when it can easily steal from all the other good natured Pokémon that leave their food stocks lying about. That being said, it has been reported that Karrablast have attempted to eat Pokémon smaller than themselves. This hasn't been scientifically documented so you shouldn't worry.

Scroggin would make a fantastic and easy meal for you to feed Karrablast at any time; but make sure to remove the all of the chocolate first. Something like that would make Karrablast very ill. On that note, please don't feed Karrablast anything chocolaty or sugary. Its little body wouldn't be able to handle that at all.

**How To Bond: **Unless you count sinking it's fangs into your soft flesh a form of bonding; Karrablast won't get very attached to you. It's not the type of Pokémon that becomes attached to other creatures and very little love is shared even between Karrablast and _other _Karrablast. But sometimes they pretend to care for their trainers, so they can steal even more stuff while your guard is down and then hastily sprint back into the wild. This is a rather stupid thing for Karrablast to do as it is probably better off with you than in the wild.

So for the time being bonding with Karrablast is a fleeting concept and any attempts will be a waste of your time. But not all hope is lost! Escavalier are kind and noble Pokémon that respect their trainers very much. Now, if you can only find a Shelmet…

If you trade Karrablast for a Shelmet then Karrablast will be given the opportunity to steal Shelmet's armour and evolve. But _please _remember that you will not get your Escavalier back, you will be getting an Accelgor. I've heard so many stories of young trainers trading their Karrablast away so it can evolve, but forgetting they will not actually earn their Escavalier…

**Love:** ahahaa, you want Karrablast to steal your virginity too? I'm sorry, I won't tease you anymore.

But seriously, If Karrablast has almost no respect or regard for you how do you expect it to fall in love with you? Be patient and wait until you evolve it before you think of making any romantic advances.

**Battling: **Karrablast are pretty puny and this why they always flee. Even if you convince Karrablast to fight for you don't' expect it to be impressive or competent at all. In addition to that Rock and Fire moves are very common; putting Karrablast in an even more unfair position.

For a weak Pokémon such as Karrablast the move Endure is a useful blessing. This move will allow Karrablast to survive any attack just once; but using it multiple times will not work. Please note there is a limit as to how much power this move can protect you from. For example, Endure won't to squat to protect Karrablast should a Hydreigon decide to use Giga Impact on it. But generally this move should work just fine.

Fury Cutter is nothing more than a gimmick move really. It starts of weak but gets stronger the more times it is consecutively used. But you'd have to use it at least several times before it actually does any decent damage; and you could easily resolve a battle by then by using other moves.

False Swipe is a move that damages the foe but leaves them with enough strength to carry on. This is a great move if you want to catch a Pokémon and have it capable of walking around straight away; instead of rushing it off to the Pokémon Centre. But considering that Karrablast doesn't deal much damage anyway this move is rather redundant.

Bug Buzz is Karrablast's only decent move, unless you're willing to fork out for TMs. This move should be your most commonly used move once Karrablast learns it. A final good point would be that it can deal damage from a distance meaning Karrablast doesn't need to make itself so vulnerable.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Ohh, everyone's gonna hate Karrablast alright. Not only is it a thief but it's selfish attitude is nearly insufferable. It won't even attempt to make friends with the other Pokémon and may even be aggressive from the get-go. Even a patient Pokémon such as Leavanny will have its patience tested by this little bug. Knowing that, you'll just have to pray to Jirachi that you can find a Shelmet before everyone decides to 'dispose' of Karrablast.

**Warnings: **Don't hold your hand (or any other body part) out to Karrablast early on. It's won't be able to resist the temptation to sink its fangs into you. And you need to remain aware of where all your items are at any given time. Otherwise everything you own will gradually go missing.

**Summary: **Karrablast is a naughty, snappy and nigh insufferable Pokémon that will test your patience and goodwill. On top of that I can guarantee that some of your personal possessions will go missing. On the flip side it does evolve into a really loyal and strong Pokémon, so if you think you can handle a period of suffering then you can catch one with the intention of quickly evolving it. Do it quickly, before you lose your mind!

**Next Time… Number 095 Escavalier!**

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**A/N: Escavalier is pretty awesome, but Karrablast is just meh. When I first saw it I thought it had a wrench on its head. It also looks like a fat guy wearing a costume that is a little too small for him…**

**Normally I try to avoid breaking canon, but this chapter I did it intentionally. Within Karrablast's canon Pokédex entry it states Karrablast requires 'electrical stimulation while in the same place as Shelmet' to evolve. That's pretty stupid, so I disregarded it and simply said they steal the armour from Shelmet. Considering that Escavalier's B2W2 entry explicitly states that it stole the armour, I don't think it's really breaking canon anyway. **


	106. 095 Escavalier

**Number: **# 095

**Type: **Bug - Steel

**Species: **Cavalry

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Chevargo

**Human Friendship Level: **High

**Description: **Escavalier is the unsung heroic knight of a forgotten age. The Karrablast hid deep within the south-west of the land until they were ousted, making their existence a secret until only a few centuries ago. But even hundreds of years before that, the Karrablast that managed to evolve into Escavalier swiftly sailed over the south-western mountain range and into the heart of Unova, becoming just another species for people to encounter.

Normally a species' first encounter with humans is a savage one, or stressed at the very least. There are only three forms of life on this planet; Pokémon, plants and micro-organisms. Humans are a sub-classification of Pokémon. All Pokémon are originally from Mew and humans are no exception. But over the time of our existence we have grown to be so foreign from Pokémon that they can sense it instinctually. This and our relatively violent nature are the sole reasons why humans and Pokémon can no longer truly be one.

But Escavalier came up and became familiar to humans very quickly. It's never been explained why this occurred, but perhaps it has something to do with their first perception of humans. Apparently our first encounter with the Escavalier was around the mid 1200's. At that period of time the nation was peaceful and humans were relatively friendly towards Pokémon. There were many, many noble knights who served the lords of the land; and considering that Escavalier are obsessed with virtue these knights would have seemed like the perfect companions.

Back in those faded days people used Pokémon as instruments of both warfare and transport. The knights and their steeds were known as cavalry. Kanto had Rapidash, Johto had Donphan, and Hoenn and Sinnoh had Lairon. But we of Unova fought with Escavalier and this has earned them their species name. Normally cavalry fight while mounted on their Pokémon, but Escavalier cavalry fought alongside them instead. Technically that means they aren't cavalry, but no one cares about such trivialities.

But peace does not last forever. Eventually pressure and tension rose throughout the land, and all the once noble knights became corrupt and savage, striking at the people they once protected. This was the precursor to the great 1300's war. When war broke out, most of the Pokémon aligned with humans either fled into the wild or betrayed them and began assisting the Sacred Swordsmen in their campaign. But Escavalier remained loyal to the humans; even though they could see that the people they still fought for were no longer the good people that Escavalier looked up to.

Escavalier have the fortunate combination of being strong, tough and blindingly quick. Due to that they were the most feared opponents on the battlefield, and unless an army had their own Escavalier to retaliate with then retreating was a favourable option.

Virizion is a master of battle and even to this day he is considered the best warrior in the land. He may be a girly boy, but dear Arceus not even fully trained platoons of elite guards could survive against him. Back in that war that he fought, he left a blazing trail of victorious battles that quickly made him fearsome to every human faction. He did lose the occasional battle, but he usually dealt enough damage for it to be considered a victory, and he still walked away with his grand dignity.

Only once did he suffer complete and utter humiliating defeat; and that was when he fought against a squad of determined Escavalier defending their battalion's castle. He had casually strolled out onto the battlefield as normal, but he had limped away in humiliation with a broken leg, his bleeding head hung in shame. Up until that point all the wild Pokémon had viewed Virizion as invincible, so this was a very scary moment for them.

A war or even a battle hasn't occurred in over a hundred years, so Escavalier is no longer part of the military. And now that there are no longer any noble knights wandering across the land, the Escavalier no longer have anyone to commit themselves to. And thus they have with some degree of regret returned to the wild. But still even now there are Pokémon who remember how the Escavalier fought on the human's side even when faced against helpless wild Pokémon, and they have yet to forgive the Escavalier. I personally cannot advocate Escavalier's actions, but nor can I condemn them. The Escavalier were simply doing what they have always done; remain loyal to their masters.

But that's enough history. Let's return to modern times, shall we?

Escavalier's form of evolution is a totally unique one shared with only two other species. Karrablast, Shelmet and Slowpoke are the only three species that require another specific species' presence in order to evolve. For Slowpoke it is Shellder, and for Karrablast and Shelmet it is each other. It is a common misconception that their evolution is simply the transferral of Shelmet's armour, but it is not that simple. Just like every other Pokémon these two undergo a complete physical change; complete with the whole glowing-brightly-while-evolving craziness. In addition to Shelmet's armour Escavalier also develops a fancy red crest and two lethally sharp lances. It also becomes part Steel type and can fly about freely. Please don't ask me how it can fly, I don't know either.

**Personality: **I think 'Atonement' would make a better species name for Escavalier. After being such a prick as Karrablast, Escavalier is now a very goodhearted and selfless person. Many of them hate themselves for how terrible and apathetic they were, especially towards their trainer. This is another trait that Escavalier has in common with Swanna; they both bear the shame of their pre-evolution.

Generally they are reserved and speak infrequently. This is not because they are grumpy or antisocial, but because they are simply quiet by nature. They are by no means cowards however, and they will fight opponents until their last dying breath. Part of what makes fighting Escavalier so tough is the fact that they refuse to stop until they're dead or unconscious, or you're dead or unconscious.

Since they have the whole 'tough and silent' motif going on it's easy to think that they're cruel creatures like their pre-evolved form. But realistically they are very benevolent creatures that will fight for whatever they perceive is justice; although sometimes they can become so blinded by their pursuit of justice they fail to see what is really important.

However the only exception to this rule is their loyalty to whatever master they have. Even if their master is an evil person who inflicts suffering on others, Escavalier will silently bite its lips and do their bidding anyway. This behaviour dates back to the medieval ages where knights advised Escavalier that 'master is always just, no matter how it seems'. Of course Escavalier knows that isn't justice, but it has no choice but to obey. There is but one exception; Escavalier will not allow their master to get away with wanton massacre. At that point Escavalier will turn on their master and punish them for being such an evil person.

On a last note they are very patient creatures, to an almost remarkable degree. Even if you told Escavalier to wait outside at night during a savage stormy winter night, it would patiently sit there waiting for you to give it the order to move. It won't even bear you any ill will! Due to that the military often use Escavalier as an example for how troops should behave when in training.

**Lifespan: **Escavalier are a relatively long-living species, with 102 years being an average time for one to survive. Is it because they're all safe and snug inside that stolen armour? I don't' think security has anything to do with how long you live, but perhaps it may be the sudden peace of mind it now has knowing that few can get past it's tough armour.

**Diet: **They don't actually eat very much, and that's probably because it can't pick anything up to eat with those two awkward lances. I've heard that some trainers have taught their Escavalier to use them like chopsticks though… It would still be impossible for them to eat soup! Although I doubt you'd be such a bastard and force them to eat soup every day.

But seriously, the same boring old mixture of berries, nuts and pellets will do Escavalier just fine. You can feed it something more interesting if you want, but you'll be wasting your money. Escavalier is the kind of Pokémon that isn't concerned with what something tastes like or how rare it is, it's only concerned that it gets the energy needed from food to continue onwards. You should be grateful for Escavalier's complacent taste in food; your other Pokémon could be expecting upper-class, silver platter meals by now.

**How To Bond: **Along with the starters, Zoroark and Gothitelle, Escavalier is a insanely loyal Pokémon. Perhaps not as obsessively loyal as Gardevoir or Lucario; but it is still up there among them. Underneath that callous shell lies a loyal steed that wants to please its master no matter what.

Regardless of whether you evolved it from a Karrablast or caught it straight from the wild, Escavalier will obey you immediately; even if you portray yourself as an absolute jerk. This makes them popular with criminals, as Escavalier makes a perfect, powerful henchman that will patiently do their bidding even if they're disgusted by it.

This plan isn't entirely fool-proof however and many Escavalier treated this way often find a way to get away from their horrible trainer or ensure their justice is served. I suggest that you don't attempt to force Escavalier working in crime alongside you, because it'll all come tumbling down on your head. Escavalier will let you get away with thief and cruelty, but you'll find yourself beaten senseless should you attempt murder.

Another good point for Escavalier is its complacence. Lots of Pokémon need to move about or get some exercise done, but Escavalier is happy to float at your side all the time, kinda like a wingman. It can remain quiet the whole time too, making it a perfect 'not seen, not heard, but ready to kick ass' Pokémon.

It's only concerned with being useful to you, and because of that it will be content to do whatever you're doing. Due to that simply having Escavalier at your side is a fine way of bonding with it. Don't pretend like it isn't there however; it _is _a Pokémon with thoughts and feelings after all, and being ignored will make it upset and possibly depressed.

Since Escavalier is so reserved you will have to be the one to get the ball rolling. Even if it's meaningless banter, Escavalier will appreciate the effort you're going to to make it evident you care. Having some time alone with no one else around would be a kind thing to do as well.

**Love: **You aren't going to be getting into Escavalier's pants, er, I mean shell anytime soon. They may be servile but they take romance very seriously. If you want to have Escavalier as someone closer than just a friend, you're going to have to prove that you're capable of filling the position. Generally being competent and staying righteous will be enough to convince you're little mate-to-be that you can make a reliable partner.

A few of the people who married their Escavalier ended up divorcing it because they felt like Escavalier didn't care for them enough, using the fact that they were so quiet and reserved as evidence. Escavalier can't help that it behaves that way and it might not even understand why you're upset. Generally in that situation Escavalier is the one who suffers the most. Remember that not all Pokémon treat love the same way we do.

As a sidenote, beware that Escavalier don't give the most comfortable of hugs. Or handshakes. Or anything else regarding physical contact or intimacy.

**Battling: **While they have fallen from the pedestal they once proudly stood on, they are still terrifyingly powerful and anything short of a Hydreigon, Golurk or fully evolved Fire type will find themselves in a gritty, savage battle. Even Virizion hasn't forgotten the damage they did to him that one time.

Escavalier's sharp lances can tear through even hardened scaly armour and can pierce or even tear our vital organs such as hearts in one stab. It's armour is disturbingly tough and is almost impervious to physical damage. It is also lightning-quick and can easily keep up with a Zebstrika racing across the land, and finally it's typing gives it a huge array of resistances and a single weakness. Very few Pokémon have that many pros and so little cons, and that is what makes Escavalier a champion.

Please be aware that Fire types are Escavalier's bane. Unless Escavalier can stay away from their attacks it is going to be swiftly roasted in its own armour without mercy. If you're going to own an Escavalier, get a reliable Water type to back it up! I hear Ghost types give Escavalier a hard time simply because they are immune to or resist _all _or its move, plus they can easily evade it's stabs with their ghostly form.

Escavalier's main style of fighting is charging headfirst with the intention of stabbing or impaling the opponent with its lances. But with Slash you can slash across them sideways instead. Having a little trick like this up your sleeve will come in handy, I promise.

Iron Head is a good move that uses blunt force rather than sharpness, plus in can make the foe flinch or stagger too. Being slammed by Escavalier's visor might knock someone unconscious if they were unlucky.

Escavalier is already very tough, but using Iron Defence just makes things unfair. Try and raise Escavalier's defences as much as you can straight away, because Escavalier is going to get beaten around to some degree.

With X-Scissor Escavalier crosses it's lances into and X shape and slashes wildly at the foe. It sounds overdramatic and silly, but this is a very worthwhile move. It's pretty cool to see Escavalier charge like that too.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **While Escavalier is happily sitting by your side, it will quietly be keeping tabs on all the other Pokémon you've caught. If it pick up on any bad eggs, it'll drag them before you and expose them, hoping that you'll remove them. If they are directly compromising your safety then it will remove them itself, even if you don't want it to. Your orders are of the utmost importance to Escavalier, but your safety is ever more precious.

It judges Pokémon by their virtue only, so it will only befriend those whom it deems to be good people. If they seem to be somewhat morally ambiguous, then Escavalier will give them the cold shoulder.

Some Pokémon will likely be intimidated by Escavalier at first, and that is understandable. But once they get past that cold exterior and see how kind and noble Escavalier is, then they'll quickly come to respect it. Please note that there _are _still Pokémon who remember Escavalier's alliance with the humans back in the war and thus hate it with a passion, but their numbers are rapidly diminishing.

**Warnings:** If you want to cuddle Escavalier at all, always be aware of those sharp lances.

**Summary: **Escavalier is a fantastic Pokémon in every regard. All that time you spend regretting capturing a Karrablast will have now payed off. Escavalier is now you powerful, doting and undyingly loyal steed that will race to your service at any moment! I've always found Bug types a little icky, but Escavalier is pure awesome. There are no strings attached to owning one nor are there any drawbacks. You have my recommendation!

So with that in mind- / Professor Fuhri, are you home? / Huh? Juniper? What are you doing here? Why did you just come into my lab? / We need to- / Ah, shit! The Audtype is still on! Quick, turn it off! Dammit Juniper you're ruining my guide with your talking! / Sorry! But we need to talk… / About what? / About you and me… About what's going on between us… / Oh… just let me turn the Audtype o-

**Next Time… Number 096 Foongus!**

Fuhri's Note: Sorry about that messed up summary. That idiot Juniper came into my lab blathering about… stuff, while I was still talking to the Audtype about Escavalier's chapter. Now it's being a bastard and I can't get rid of the unwanted text. Please ignore it.

If it makes things any better Juniper ran out of my lab in tears afterwards… Although I don't' feel too good about it… It wasn't my fault she put me under so much sudden pressure…

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**A/N: New subsection! Introducing Human Friendship Level! This will gauge how friendly or hostile that species is generally towards humans. For example, Escavalier is 'high', meaning that it is open, friendly and not hostile to humans. I guess I'll have to edit that into the older chapters when I get off my ass and continue that drull editing phase.  
**

**Once again canon clashes with itself. Escavalier's Pokédex entry states that it flies at high speeds, yet it's in-game speed stat makes it slow as molasses. In this case I decided to go with the Pokédex entry.**

**I designed Professor Fuhri's personality and opinions to be different from my own, so I could make sure it wasn't being written strictly by my viewpoint. But sometimes we agree on some things. For example we both don't like Bug types, we both think Escavalier is awesome… we both think Virizion is male- Oh wait. That's fact, not opinion.**

**But seriously, Escavalier is cool. Go, you stabby horse bug knight thing!**


	107. 096 Foongus

**Number: **# 096

**Type: **Grass - Poison

**Species: **Mushroom

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Tamagetake

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely Low

**Description: **If you see a Pokeball lying by the road, never pick it up. It may be the death of you. At least fifty trainers, usually young ones, are killed by this unassuming Pokémon each year. They say appearances can be deceiving, and Foongus is a most prominent example.

Have you heard of Pokémon adaption? Pokémon adaption is when a species subtlety changes and evolves to possess new changes which make it easier for that species to survive or thrive. While this is technically a form of evolution, it cannot be easily observed like standard evolution and this is because it takes a very, very long time for even the slightest adaptions to have occurred. The possibilities of adaption are nearly endless. If you bothered to pay attention in Biology you would know that of the current approximate 700 species known, 97% per cent of them were originally Mew that adapted to the many different places and scenarios there in in this world, even we came from Mew! Except we were more of a freak mutation…

Foongus is a very interesting example of this process. Instead of natural adaption, which happens with little interference, Foongus have intentionally changed their appearance. You will be well aware that Foongus' head looks deceptively like a Pokeball when viewed from afar or from above; but originally it was a simple pure white. The Foongus have been carefully selecting what they have eaten over the last century to ensure that their heads have gradually changed to closely resemble Pokeballs. But why would Foongus change its design to look like that, and how does that make life any easier for the Foongus? Well, the answer is simple.

As well as Pokémon, items can be stored within Pokeballs; allowing people to carry larger items around which they could normally carry with them. Things such as potions, revives and other items also quickly take up space so people put them in Pokeballs too. As many a traveller can testify, it is easy to accidentally drop a Pokeball containing useful items and leave it behind. Since this is a stupidly common mistake you may come across quite a few of them scattered all across the various routes covering Unova. It's astounding to think someone hasn't invented something to prevent this… Anyway, many people stoop to pick up any dropped Pokeballs hoping that it'll have something nice for them inside.

Humans are Foongus' favourite meal. They will do anything they can to devour the flesh of humans. They used to wait for people to mistake them for normal mushrooms and come pick them so they could attack the unsuspecting human; but people have known never to pick suspicious mushrooms and thus would never approach a waiting Foongus; so the Foongus used to starve quite a lot. But then came the invention of Pokeballs and the subsequent changes they brought. When the Foongus saw all the people carelessly stooping to pick up Pokeballs within the forests where they made their home, they came up with a clever plan.

It's taken Foongus just over a hundred years to develop this decoy pattern, but it has payed off immensely. All Foongus has to do is patiently sit beside a secluded forest road and wait for a human to come by and mistake them for a Pokeball containing some goodies. As the human runs up and bends down to pick the Foongus up, it sprays them with highly toxic spores which are accidentally inhaled by the surprised human. These spores quickly dissolve into the walls of your airway system and cause your lung and oesophagus muscles to spasm violently, causing you to fall down and choke. As you fall unconscious, Foongus will latch onto your skin and let its efficient root system grow throughout your body, sucking up all of your nutrients. At that time many, many other Foongus nearby will come running up to join the feast on your defenceless body. After enough time, the Foongus will have syphoned the last of the nutrients in your body and abandon your now hollow, decayed corpse. A passer-by would mistake you for a thousand year old mummy. After resting from their meal, the Foongus will move elsewhere and lie in wait for the next naïve trainer to come skipping down the road.

Heh, did I scare you? Did I put you off from owning a Foongus? Indeed, Foongus is a very dangerous and scary Pokémon and if you aren't careful it can turn you into a rotting cadaver. It isn't surprising as Foongus is technically a fungus (surprise surprise!), and fungus are organisms that feed off of living or dead matter.

That being said, Foongus are classified as a dangerous pest due to their lethal nature and their large and rapidly growing population. Trainers are actually encouraged to exterminate them with merciless force, and Team Plasma threw a tantrum about that a few years back. Amusingly a group a Team Plasma members sheltered a huddle of Foongus from exterminators claiming that 'they may be predators, but they're still Pokémon!', only to be killed by the same Foongus they were trying to protect. The world only found that out a few months ago, because Ghetsis did such a good job covering the deaths up. Speaking of that evil man, I've been planning to look into him… I wonder if anyone would complain if he got a Celebrity Spotlight?

**Personality: **Just like Karrablast Foongus is another one of those apathetic, cruel species. The only difference is that Karrablast looks like a saint in comparison! You see, while Karrablast is selfish and cruel; it isn't inherently bad and can, with intensive care, become a good person. However Foongus has absolutely no compassion in its heart and has no qualm killing others for its own benefit. Any other Pokémon might look remorsefully over its shoulder, or stare at the ground with a grim, gritted look, but Foongus hops away with nothing but satisfaction.

Its lethality is one reason why people hate it, but this soulless personality is the other reason. Pokémon are something we're supposed to love, something to grow old with and share memories together. You should be able to look into your Pokémon's eyes and see love, affection or comradeship staring back at you. When all you can see in Foongus' eyes is a glazed desire to kill you, it's no wonder people refuse to own one.

While this all sounds horrible, Foongus doesn't actually have any malicious intent within its heart. Human flesh is its favourite meal, and it needs food to survive. Thus, humans are simply food and nothing more. In other words, Foongus doesn't kill humans because it has any grudges against us; it kills humans because it's trying to stay alive like everyone else. Calling something evil because it kills to survive is a little harsh. After all, dozens of Pokémon eats others to survive, and humans eat some Pokémon too. Don't tell me you haven't had the delight of eating a Tauros steak?

But the reason does not excuse the crime. Foongus is still a stone cold killer that will have every intention of killing you and will do so unless you buy a Pokémon Dampener. I told you about them back in Cofagrigus' chapter, remember? They're rather costly but are certainly worth it. Unlike Cofagrigus you can legally own a Foongus without having one, but you'll die just the same.

That doesn't mean that Foongus aren't entirely without emotion. They can become enraged, saddened or fall in love, but these emotions are usually restricted to other Foongus. Any emotional interaction with other creatures is usually negative. For example, refusing to let them eat you will result in a very cross Foongus.

**Lifespan: **They don't live for long, thank Arceus. Four years would be pushing it for this little killer. But they still breed like crazy, meaning exterminators have to work in overdrive to keep them back. Please for the love of god don't help them breed. Do you remember that B-grade movie last year, the one about Foongus taking over Unova? As cheesy as it was, it was actually quite accurate; Foongus could quickly overwhelm us if they were given any sort of external assistance. Even the _other _wild Pokémon are aware of this threat and do their best to keep their numbers at bay. Why do you want this thing again?

**Diet: **Human flesh is thei- I've already said it, so I won't say it again. YOU! YOU is what they eat! That isn't proper grammar, but it doesn't matter! YOU is what they eat, and YOU are going to get YOUself killed by letting one on YOU team!

Did I get the message across?

Aside from humans Foongus will eat other Pokémon, and in dire circumstances will eat rotting plants. The reason they prefer humans is because we provide the best amount of nutrients for them, whereas Pokémon and plants aren't that nutritious. Although this whole debacle is a little oxymoronic, because it was their repeated consumption of humans that gradually caused a dependency on the nutrients found in the human body. It's similar to human dependency on certain foods; for example it is hard to go a day without coffee after drinking it every morning for several years!

If you really are going to go through with taking care of and feeding this… thing, then you will have no choice but to let it feed on any Pokémon you beat in battle. Normally battles against wild Pokémon end with the Pokémon either running away or fainting, but now each battle will end with death. Think carefully about that.

**How To Bond: **Go to a stream and look deep into the water; I'm sure you'll see some Basculin swimming around. As you watch them swim, think about what that Basculin really is. It's a living creature with thoughts, emotions, dreams and family. It goes about each day doing its own thing, living its life the way it always has. But none of that matters when you catch, gut and cook that Basculin, does it? None of that matters when you gobble it up without a second thought. It's a source of food, nothing more.

That's how Foongus view humans. They acknowledge that we are intelligent creatures with truths and ideals, but so long as we stay on the menu they don't care. If you become too empathetic to the creatures you eat, then you will end up starving. So in order to eat, you mustn't care about the fate of your meals.

Due to that, Foongus will not allow themselves to become attached to any human, nor will they seek friends in the form of other Pokémon species. This is because doing this either make them starve after being unable to kill the people they've grown to care for, or because it will break their heart killing the ones they care for.

With all this in mind, you should now be aware that Foongus is a Pokémon that you can't really 'bond' with. At best you and Foongus are simply using each other to fulfil each other's needs. Foongus is naught but a simple solider fighting for you, and you are a way for Foongus to get frequent, easy meals in the form of Pokémon you defeat. Of the few trainers that bother to catch this Pokémon, most cannot bear to withstand this bleak and callous relationship.

**Love: **Nope.

**Battling: **Foongus sound like an ominous threat, but really they are pathetically weak. That's why they rely on the element of surprise to take down careless travellers; Foongus is practically harmless until it comes close enough to spray them with its deadly poison spores. Since Foongus can't use the element of surprise in battle, it's near useless. The only kind of person who would want to use a Foongus would be someone who is planning premeditated murder.

Astonish is usually how Foongus would start a fight against someone who mistook it for it for a pokeball. It can't do this in battle so this move is pointless.

Once the foe is down Foongus would begin its feast with either Mega Drain or Giga Drain. You can actually use these moves and I recommend that you do. Stealing other's life-force for your own benefit is cruel, but it is terribly effective in battle.

If for some reason you can't afford to steal energy from your enemy, then you can steal it from the earth. Ingrain lets Foongus draw up energy from the soil it stands upon, by letting its roots grow deep into the ground. But obviously this makes Foongus very vulnerable to attack while it is unable to move, and it will not gain as mush health as it would from another creature. However this move is good for 'recharging' Foongus after battle.

With Sweet Scent Foongus will release a delicious smell that will draw Pokémon towards it. It serves almost no purpose in battle but is highly useful for setting up traps for Foongus to hunt others with.

Just like all Poison types Foongus uses poison to battle against foes. And alongside quite a few Poison types Foongus has a backup move in the event that its poison backfires. With Clear Smog Foongus can remove all of its spores floating in the air and remove the effects of its poison. It will almost never use this move, because it doesn't care if anyone else besides itself becomes poisoned, as other Foongus can't poison each other.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It harbours no grudge against other Pokémon species and works generally well alongside them, and in monitored circumstances can become friendly with them. But it still considers them nothing more than walking meals and will kill and eat them without any second thought, even if it's known them for years. Because of that most Pokémon don't trust Foongus and stay well away from it. If you let a Foongus onto your team, all your other Pokémon will protest and become anxious.

There are exceptions to this, for example Foongus get along great with Pokémon such as Roggenrola and Klink, and that is because they cannot eat those species at all. Since it can't view them as a meal, it will happily view them as friends. Although Roggenrola and Klink may be too unsettled by Foongus' sociopathic tendencies to remain friendly towards it.

**Warnings: **I cannot stress enough that Foongus is a weak yet very lethal Pokémon. Even when controlled by a Dampener they are hazardous things. By letting one onto your team, you're taking a shortcut to Death's Door. And if your Pokémon start to go missing one by one, you know who's guilty.

**Summary: **Foongus is a monstrous and dangerous Pokémon, unfit to be owned by anyone. Considering that it is heartless, cruel, troublesome and downright useless in battle, I can't see why anyone would want to actually own one. Are you part of some kind of challenge? Or do you just enjoy having really messed up Pokémon teams?

Through any perspective Foongus is a horrible Pokémon. Go get something less lethal like a Magikarp or something.

**Next Time… Number 097 Amoonguss!**

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**A/N: 300 Reviews! Thank you for your support, everyone! I'm not in this for the reviews but it's nice to see how many people enjoy reading this guide! You aren't strapped to some chair and being forced to read this, are you?**

**This chapter ended up becoming rather grim unintentionally. I didn't really know what to say when I started this chapter, so I ended up making the chapter focus on its canonical tendency to disguise itself and attack unsuspecting travellers.**

**This chapter would've been uploaded quite a while ago, but I was too tired to proofread it so I waited until today…**


	108. 097 Amoonguss

**Number: **# 097

**Type: **Grass - Poison

**Species: **Mushroom

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Morobareru

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely Low

**Description: **Amoonguss is another species that deviates from the typical way Pokémon evolve. For most species evolution is triggered by the accumulation of experience gained from battling, bonding and maturing in life. When a Pokémon wins many battles, becomes strong, and is determined to carry onwards in life, it is a sign that the Pokémon is ready to move onto the next stage of life and handle the challenges that this change will provide. And thus, that Pokémon will evolve into a much stronger, much more capable Pokémon.

In other words, Evolution is a way of showing that a Pokémon has grown not only physically, but mentally and spiritually too. This is why it is such a wonderful thing if a Pokémon evolves in your care. An unhappy, unloved or neglected Pokémon will not have what it takes to evolve, so by evolving your Pokémon is showing you that you are a capable trainer! Unova has always been a nation that focuses on the bonds between humans and Pokémon and this natural phenomenon exemplifies it greatly.

But for every beautiful thing is this world there is a corrupt, degenerate version to match it. And for the lovely form of evolution that most Pokémon are blessed with, Foongus'is that twisted form. Instead of using the accumulated energy of won battles to evolve, Foongus uses the energy syphoned from all of its murder victims to spurn its evolution. That's right; the life-force of all of the people killed by Foongus is burnt up to make Foongus into an even more lethal monster. Suffering causes only more suffering, they say. Agreeably Cofagrigus' and Chandelure's methods of evolution are much much more horrific, but Amoonguss is still pretty dark. Any form of evolution incurred by death is horrible if you ask me.

The only good point about this form of evolution and diet is that it ensures that they are very rare and have a tough time surviving. As a small and inconspicuous Foongus it would be easy for anyone to mistake it for a harmless Pokeball. Or alternately any curious wild Pokémon may have approached Foongus out of curiosity and also fell to Foongus' trap. Thus within that form they have no trouble securing meals almost every day. But Amoonguss is blatantly too large to be mistaken for a pokeball, plus its lower body is too tall to be fully covered by the deceptive cap. This means that only an incredible moron would mistake Amoonguss for a pokeball and get themselves killed in that manner. Is that a good thing then?

All Pokémon inevitably become stronger when they evolve, but sometimes this comes at a price. In exchange for its new limits of power, Amoonguss must surrender its intelligence. Due to this drop in intelligence Amoonguss only fares half as well as they did as a Foongus, struggling to think competently in order to survive. I think that makes quite a justifiable retribution! In its bloodthirsty hunt for power and human flesh, it has become so stupid that it is worse off than before. Anyone who is inconsiderate or gluttonous could learn a lesson from Amoonguss.

But as stupid as they are, they still are a lethal threat. The cap on their head and the shields braced onto their arms are made of an extremely soft yet durable material. Despite being organic in nature, it can still resist attacks as much as rock or steel can. Knowing this, whenever it is attacked Amoonguss will crouch down and use its cap and arms to shield itself from whatever attack that comes its way.

Amusingly Amoonguss are so incredibly thick-witted that they think by _dancing_ they can lure in prey. Obviously everyone just passes the clueless Amoonguss by, shaking their heads in barely-withheld mirth. Last year a group of high school boys discovered that if you play music near an Amoonguss while it is dancing, it will start moving in accordance to the beat. This would be cool and amusing, if not for the fact that one of them got too close to Amoonguss and was killed.

So as you can see, Amoonguss are relatively harmless when alone. But in group packs they can provide a very severe threat indeed. When a group of Amoonguss come across a target, they will attempt to circle it. This formation is called a 'Fairy Ring'. If they trap you in a circle, you're as good as dead. Their large shield like protrusions will obstruct you from fleeing, and even if you attack they will simply crouch down and endure your attacks. In other words, the Amoonguss can work together to create a wall of shields, similar to how ancient soldiers used their round shields. As they move closer and closer, tightening the circle, you'll find yourself unable to defend yourself from all sides. Eventually they'll overwhelm you and devour you and your Pokémon without a second thought.

If you have a Pokémon that can fly, teleport or jump very high then you can quickly escape. But without any of those, _it's over._ So many people make fun of Amoonguss and laugh at its stupid ways, until they find themselves in a forest surrounded by them.

**Personality: **They are still as sociopathic as before, but their inhibited intelligence prevents them from putting it to as much use as before. But intelligence does not specifically affect emotional capabilities, and Amoonguss will still kill and eat you without a second thought. To take matters worse, it's now strong enough to be twice as threatening as before. Why in Arceus' name did you evolve this abomination?

Their tiny brains also have trouble understanding other people's emotions too. If fact, the concept of emotions _itself _sounds strange. They can't understand why people let things such as love, companionship, pity, kindness or fear interfere with their plans. Because Amoonguss heartlessly acts without emotion or compassion it is considered to be very terrifying when thought about. Even a Hydreigon is aware of the suffering it causes when it commits wanton slaughter.

**Lifespan: **Mushrooms don't live for very long and thankfully the same is applied to Amoonguss. At most twelve years would be a prime time to die for any Amoonguss. That's a very short lifespan for a fully evolved species, but no-one is complaining.

**Diet: **They still prioritize human flesh over any other food, but they aren't as picky as before. Now Amoonguss is more content to target other Pokémon wild or trained if there are no humans to eat. Due to this areas where Amoonguss live will normally de devoid of any other life forms. These monsters work very hard to eradicate everything other than themselves. And once there are no humans or Pokémon left in the area, they may start tapping energy from the flora all around, causing all the greenery in the area to die off. If you suddenly come across a dead, barren area in the middle of a forest, _run _before you get surrounded.

If you really are going to go through with having one of these on your team, you need to be fully aware that it is going to try to eat you, your Pokémon, and anyone else you pass by at every opportunity it gets. At this point it is imperative you buy a dampener if you haven't already. I'm actually amazed that the Pokémon league allows people to own these sorts of Pokémon without legally requiring a dampener. It's incredibly slack and reckless! It's one of the very few things that Juniper and I agree on.

But seriously, finding food for Amoonguss to eat is no hard chore. Practically anything that lives and can be broken down into nutrients is viable. In other words, everything except Rock, Steel and Ghost types are naught but yummy meals for this carnivorous mushroom.

**How To Bond: **It can't be bonded with. Trying to form a positive relationship with a creature like this is like trying to rebuild a functioning Skyarrow Bridge out of straw. Initially it may sound feasibly possible and worth the try, but you'd quickly come to realise just how impossible it is shortly after setting into it.

With that in mind the only choice you have with this Pokémon is to treat it like a battle slave. Considering it has an even lower regard for you this is actually a privilege. If you don't dominate Amoonguss first then it's going to try and dominate you. If you beat it into submission for long enough then it will eventually start following your orders, with a fair amount of resistance. But all that really matters is that you have that dampener. So long as that thing remains attached to Amoonguss it cannot pose a threat to you. It's a terribly strained 'relationship' at best.

**Love: **NOPE.

**Battling: **Amoonguss don't fare too well on their own, nor do they do well at long range. They would do best alongside another Pokémon, particularly one with special attacks. Amoonguss can keep itself safe with its shields, so any of your other Pokémon should focus on attacking instead. Amoonguss learns few moves after evolving anyway, so it's been forced into fighting defensively anyway. Please remember that Amoonguss will make lots of stupid mistakes and needs to be controlled very tightly when battling.

Despite being a Mushroom Amoonguss can use the powers of the sun to use attacks such as Solar Beam. This is the only ranged move Amoonguss knows so it will prove to be useful, but beware that it has a long charge time beforehand.

Rage Powder is a move that infuriates any Pokémon that inhale the powder and make them extremely hostile towards the user. While this sounds like a dumb move at first, it actually works well with Amoonguss' high defence. With this move you can draw the foes attention towards Amoonguss and let it soak up all their attacks while your other Pokémon defeat them while their distracted. Be careful when using this however, as it may make your Pokémon or allied Pokémon turn on Amoonguss if they inhale it too.

Spore is, as the name implies, a move where spores are released into surrounding area. These spores have a very powerful chemical effect on the brain forcing it to shut down, thus putting anyone who inhales these spores in a sleeping, near-comatose state. _This_ is the reason why people don't get too close to Amoonguss. Once you're asleep, you're defenceless and Amoonguss can do whatever it wants to you. Something like that is generally the precursor to many a rape fanfiction, but in this instance it will cost you your life.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It's on even worse terms with others now. Most species see Amoonguss as nothing more than a deadly, souless monster and will feel obliged to kill it or remove it from the team for everyone's safety. And if you add one of these to your team, some of your Pokémon may begin to question your credibility as a trainer. It would be like a baseball coach giving the players swords instead of bats. It's downright crazy and lethal.

If you catch an Amoonguss and don't put a dampener on it, don't be surprised if half of your Pokémon are dead within the hour.

**Warnings: (!) **Go back through the rest of the chapter, and then come back and tell me just how dangerous Amoonguss is.

**Summary: **It's a sociopathic murderous mushroom that has no regard for the welfare of your or your Pokémon and is only interested in killing you for a quick meal. Despite being a complete idiot it will do its absolute best to trip you up every step of the way and make you collapse in despair. Please give me one good reason why Amoonguss would actually be useful on a Pokémon team. It is NOT a little league Pokémon and only the toughest or daftest trainers should consider having one.

**Next Time… Number 098 Frillish!**

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**A/N: Sorry for the delayed chapter. I wanted to have a little rest from writing this guide, so I started another story during that rest. It's based on Zoroark's chapter from this guide. Basically, it focuses on expanding the lore from the chapter and bringing it to life in the form of a proper story. It does however contain humanxZoroark romance so read it at your own risk. **

**On another note, I **_**am **_**going back through all of the old chapters, just at a very slow rate. It's hard enough to frequently update this story as it is thanks to my pressing and busy new life at college, and proofreading this entire story is the equivalent to proofreading the first **_**two**_**Harry Potter Books, plus half of The Prisoner Of Azkabam. In addition to that I need to add in the love sections and flesh each chapter out a bit more. Needless to say, it's a big task.**

**And on a final note, I DO read all reviews that you fellas write. And I always take them into consideration too, but I can't always act on them. I would like to respond to every review too, and I used to do that when I first started off. But the thing is there's so many of you, and I'm already struggling (and failing) to uphold seven conversation in PM as it is. Please don't think I'm ignoring you, because I'm not.**

**Amoonguss is that last Poison type in this guide, so I'll ask you this. What is your favourite Poison type? Mine? Well, mine is Scolipede, although I like Nidoking, Seviper and Gengar too.**


	109. 098 - Frillish

**Fuhri's Note:** The criterion to be a Pokémon professor is someone who cares for all Pokémon equally, without bias interfering with their judgement. But I have to be honest; I hate this Pokémon so incredibly much. A lot of people dislike it due to its dangerous nature, but I really hate it.

You might have read how mention that I once was a trainer; and you might have read that I've vowed to never own a Pokémon again. Why? Frillish is why. It's not professional for someone to talk about personal issues in a published guide like this, but I feel I need to explain this so you can understand where I'm coming from.

It's always been my dream to be a Pokémon Professor, even when I was just a child. But I dropped out of high school in my last year and ended up becoming a Pokémon trainer. I was a little bit of a rebel, and through some interesting circumstances my starter ended up being a Mienfoo; a stubborn, snotty one at that. At first we didn't like each other and we fought a lot, but over time we ended up caring very deeply for each other, and for the first time I understood just how special the bond between humans and Pokémon was.

While heading up the eastern cost of Unova, Mienfoo and I decided to stop and play for just one day at Undella Beach. By that time we have become very close to each other, as much as we squabbled on the outside. After having another typical argument with Mienfoo by the waterside, I stomped off to buy some ice cream knowing that it would cheer Mienfoo up again.

But after returning with our treats, I couldn't find Mienfoo anywhere. I searched and searched, and asked every passer-by if they'd seen a Mienfoo, but he just couldn't be found… Until I spotted something wet and limp lying on the muddy shore…

It was my fault. Trainers and their starters are supposed to stick together no matter what, and I had gone and left mine all alone over some stupid argument not worth having. When I was gone, a group of Frillish had lured Mienfoo into the water and attacked him immediately, and him being a Fighting type and them being Ghost types, he couldn't do anything to defend himself. They had strangled him and threw his body back onto land, where they could laugh sadistically at me as I mourned over him…

I was beyond heart-broken, beyond shattered. Not only that, but I felt worthless. Worthless as a trainer, worthless as a friend, and worthless as a human being. Without doing anything else I returned straight back to my hometown of Accumula City and went straight to college, finally fulfilling my desire to become a Pokémon professor. Since then I have never once considered getting another Pokémon, and I have not, and will not, forgive the Frillish for what they have done.

So that's why I harbour so much resentment towards this species, you can understand now I'm sure. But regardless of my own feelings, I shouldn't let it interfere with my work. So from now on, I'm going to try and ignore anything I hold against Frillish and act in an unbiased manner, even though the little bastards don't deserve it, okay?

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**Number: **# 098

**Type:** Water - Ghost

**Species: **Floating

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Pururill

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely Low

**Description: **Frillish are the royal princes and princess' of Unova's seas; but there are some places that are better off without monarchy and the ocean is one of them. After all, these Pokémon are the kind of royalty that kill for sport, have a penchant for torturing trespassers, and love invading and attacking other people's territories. They, alongside Jellicent, are the most prolific mass murderers in Unova.

This species is well embedded into Unovan folklore, dating way back 1500 years ago when Unova first opened itself to the outside world. For the first few centuries of its life Unova was quite an undisclosed location and deterred any visits from foreigners. But after one _specific _king died and another took his place, permission was given for foreigners to come and settle into Unova. Humans are curious creatures, and thus whenever we are presented with a mystery we are compelled to investigate it. Unsurprisingly, many, many thousands of people flocked to Unova in luxurious and grand ships and galleons to learn about all its secrets.

The only thing is, not even a quarter of them made it onto shore.

Back in those days Frillish and Jellicent ruled the seas without any sort of opposition. The only thing that could stand up to them would be Gyarados, but they are too far and few between to pose a threat, and this species would win anyway due to strength of numbers. Because of their superiority they arrogantly came to the conclusion that they were the destined rulers of the water and nothing could stop them. And yes, for quite some time nothing _could _actually stop them. Whenever a ship sailed into their territories, the multitudes of Frillish would latch onto the wooden hull and tear it apart, making the whole ship sink into the water. Once submerged, it would be pathetically easy for the Frillish and Jellicent to swim about and kill all of the drowning humans and Pokémon. The sad part was, no form of long range communication existed back then, so no one could warn the entire fleets of ships sailing towards Unova of what they were about to face. Too many… too many people died to those… things.

The cruellest part of all was that most of the survivors of these attacks believed that so long as they made it onto land, they would be safe. And thus those few lucky ones clawed their way onto the shore and thanked Arceus on high for sparing them. Then they realised with horror that Frillish could come onto land with no trouble at all. You know what they say; Frillish leave _NO _survivors.

With recent improvements of technology and usage of Pokémon, we have fought back against the Frillish and Jellicent and to their surprise; they found themselves retreating back underwater. Nowadays Frillish no longer dominate the seas and ships can come to and fro without a worry, but they are still a major threat and they are the only reason why you shouldn't swim alone in the ocean. Even today any vessel smaller than a frigate will still vanish in Jellicent territory without a trace. In fact, entire scuba diving groups have disappeared when they unknowingly swam too deep into Frillish territory. Shortly after submarines were invented scientists got straight to work exploring the marine side of Unova, and to their surprise they discovered a humongous labyrinthine castle built out of sunken ships and _planes_. Some of the supporting structures and bridges are made of human bones alone, a testament to how many people these monsters have killed. This place is known as Sunken Castle, and it serves at the Frillish and Jellicent 'kingdom'. Apparently the population of Frillish and Jellicent living inside exceeds ten thousand, a terrifying number.

On the subject of Ghost type Pokémon, many people mistakenly assume that they are actual ghosts. In fact the only real ghosts are Spiritomb and Yamask. Shedinja was disputably a real ghost too, but it is really nothing more than an empty shell that continues to move after death. Every other Ghost type are ghosts only in name. While they can use ghostly powers such as moving through walls or follow ghostly traditions such as spiriting people away, they are still mortal, can be killed, and generally have no other advantages of differences from other types.

Frillish itself is no exception. In fact it's one of the least ghostly Ghost types of all! It can't even pass through walls like the majority of ghosts can. However they can make themselves partially translucent, which makes it extremely difficult to see them when underwater. The only thing you'd see is two glowing red eyes and a sadistic, sharp-teethed smile before your life was snuffed out. It is not known why exactly Frillish is a Ghost type, and there are many explanations behind this. Some say that Frillish and Jellicent are the spirits of sailors, who drowned and possessed the bodies of aquatic Pokémon. Others say that the rulers of the sea Lugia or even Kyogre cursed them with ghostly forms for their murderous crimes, so they couldn't remember what it was like to be fully alive. And some say that Frillish became Ghost types simply because people feared them as malicious spirits of the deep blue. It's been proven that humanities opinion and beliefs _can _have a profound effect on its form.

**Personality: **The Frillish family have a lot of similar traits to the Foongus family, but they are not entirely the same. It is elementary knowledge that both feed on human flesh, but they both go about it with a different attitude. When killing a human, Foongus does it simply because it needs the food to survive and commits the act without any sort of emotion whatsoever. When satisfied they might even turn a blind eye to any possible victims simply because they have no interest in killing more than what they need.

Frillish too eat human flesh, but they actually don't need it at all. There are literally millions of Basculin, Magikarp, Goldeen, Luvdisc and Alomomola in the ocean and the Frillish will _never _have to worry about food. They simply hunt, kill and eat humans because it's the most entertaining thing they can think of. It's a sport, and they think of us as nothing more than the ultimate prey. The fact that we've developed the technology and bonds with Pokémon to actually start fighting back has only encouraged them to attack us even more, because now we pose an 'entertaining challenge'.

Frillish is another species that has blatant gender differences, but in this example they differ not only physically but psychologically too. Male Frillish are quite calm and composed, and when hunting humans will quickly and efficiently kill them, usually by snapping their neck, before returning the corpse to their home. For them the thrill is in the battle, and once the foe has been defeated there is nothing left to do about it.

Females on the other hand are a much different scenario. Instead of going all out straight away, they toy with their human victim. They'll lure them around, take some cheeky jabs, flirt a little, before taking the human down. But unlike the male they don't kill you straight away; in fact they try to keep you alive for as long as possible! Once you're at the mercy of the pink Frillish, they'll do whatever they want with your body. They've been known to slice open arms and legs, purposely remove bones, rip out spinal cords, gouge out eyes, and disembowel their victim and play with their innards like silly string, _all while they're still alive. _And while doing this they have their own evil giggles which they emit. Imagine the shrillest, most chilling, sadistic laugh you can imagine. Tour guides even suggest that if you know you're going to be killed by Frillish, try and let the male ones get to you first. That way your death will be quick and painless.

Not all Frillish are bad though, just an overwhelming majority of them. Unlike Foongus they feel emotion even when hurting humans. While most of them have absolutely no issue killing humans and love the sport with a passion, there do exist Frillish which are horrified of the idea and protest when other Frillish go out to hunt. There have even been reported cases where Frillish have come to the aid of humans under attack by other Frillish and even returned them to the shore safely. I do remember reading in the newspaper about a female Frillish rescuing a man and returning him to shore, but then they started having kinky sex right there on the beach. I threw the newspaper in the fire after that.

As monstrous as they are, they are very playful Pokémon; most especially the female ones. The Jellicent take care of most of the serious issues so Frillish have a lot of spare time on their tentacles and most of that is devoted to playtime. (Even if 'playtime' is playing catch with a decapitated human head). As is expected of royalty they can be quite selfish and get upset easily, and they throw the most dramatic of tantrums. They also sulk for long periods of time and hold grudges long after conflicts have been resolved.

Females are very romantic and are easily wooed. Amazingly, they readily fall in love with human boys and can be seduced by one at the drop of a hat. Of course you can't say anything underwater, but if a female Frillish follows you ashore and you are male; then you can instantly convince her not to attack you with the right words. If fact if you're well talented at wooing ladies you can make her do whatever you want her to do. I'll explain more in the bonding section.

**Lifespan: **While not immortal like a 'true' ghost, Frillish certainly live for a long period of time like the other ghost species. 250 years sounds like a horrifyingly long time for such a malicious Pokémon to live, but you must remember that Frillish and Jellicent breed very rarely, as they make a big deal about it. Because of this lack of births and deaths the Frillish population stays well balanced, rarely increasing and rarely decreasing.

**Diet: **Frillish are well known all across the world for their hunger for human flesh, but they aren't as savage as how the media portrays them. Remember they treat hunting humans as a sport and we aren't their main source of nutrition. Human flesh is nothing more than a special treat that they eat infrequently. Maybe a long time ago human might have been common on the menu, but now that we aren't making it as easy for them to get us nowadays our flesh has become harder to come by.

Any Water type you can think of will make a suitable meal for Frillish. So long as you stay close to water or there's always a fish market nearby you will never have to worry about Frillish going without food. They are happy to eat any sort of meat really, but common fish such as Magikarp and Luvdisc are cheap and easy to obtain. Please be aware that Frillish might try to eat your Water types including your Oshawott or Dewott if you own one. Samurott will hopefully be able to hold its own though.

**How To Bond: **Despite its horrifically sadistic tendencies Frillish can eventually be bonded with, much more easily than anyone anticipates. The most notable thing at all about this species is their inclination to go from a cruel murderer to a caring friend in a matter of hours after being caught and bonded. There isn't another species in Unova that changes so dramatically.

This is another situation where gender decides the outcome. Male Frillish are content to be beaten by you in battle. Once you have shown that you are superior in battle and forced Frillish into a position of servitude, Frillish might say 'jolly good show!' in its own language before letting go of any grudges it might have had. If you wanted to have a better impression of Frillish, you could dress yourself up to be quite fancy.

Female Frillish on the other hand are quite fickle. Even if you beat, battle and capture them they'll become mad at you and refuse to behave for such a 'brute' a yourself. An easier way to gain her favour is by taking a much more courteous approach. Female Frillish are highly playful creatures and like to play with their prey. But understandably no one wants to play back, so the Frillish get upset and begin torturing their prey even more to elicit a response.

As I said earlier Females don't attack straight away, they toy with you cruelly beforehand. If you start playing games in response to Frillish, there's a high chance that she will temporarily forget about hurting you and enjoy the games you are playing for now. But if you stop playing, she'll slice you into little pieces in annoyance. Some people have suggested using playing as a method of escape, but this is very foolish. Once you start playing with her, she won't let you stop. Ever.

So if you're ballsy or stupid enough to attempt catching one of these, that's your only option. After entertaining her by playing, you can offer to capture her. Sometimes she might decide to go in the ball without a fight, sometimes she might enjoy your battle challenge, and sometimes she might prefer to play with your large intestines.

Strangely, once caught appropriately Frillish tend to behave quite well. So long as you are far away from deep water then Frillish will not be tempted to betray you and return to its home.

Frillish are a very high maintenance Pokémon that demand a lot of attention and if you don't meet that demand, things get messy quickly. On top of that if you two get close, then they may get jealous, possessive and clingy when you interact with other Pokémon.

Generally acting like a kind person, spending lots of time with Frillish and paying close attention to their likes and needs will make Frillish very affectionate and loyal to you indeed. Despite hating these monsters, I still find it amazing that they go from eldritch abominations to cuddly companions in a matter of days. Perhaps they are lonely in the ocean? That wouldn't make sense, because family ties are quite close in Frillish and Jellicent society.

As you know Frillish are very playful, and thus they will want to play with you quite a lot. Yours will often leap onto you and wrap its tentacles around your face in a teasing manner. Make sure to tell them not to do this while driving. They will also like to play with you in the water, but I insist that you do not get into deep water with Frillish unless with stronger Pokémon, even if you really trust Frillish. With a species like this you can't be too careful.

**Love: **If you confess your love to Frillish, be aware that you're getting yourself into the dark underbelly of Poképhilia. It will probably happily accept your romantic advances and become your lover straight away, and indeed will do your best to make you happy, but that can readily be a terribly bad thing. Imagine the most doting, clingy, jealous, possessive boyfriend or girlfriend you mind can muster. Ta da! Frillish is usually just that. If you talk nicely to any other Pokémon, or even any other human; the repressed, murderous part of Frillish's mind might come into play… If they could speak, they might say something along the lines of this dialogue:

"Welcome back, my love! Did you have a nice day today? I've been so lonely without you… Let's go to the bedroom and play!"

"Eh? Where's Audino? The one you and I worked together to catch this morning? Don't worry! She's in the dishwashing machine. Her head's not attached to her body anymore, but she won't be needing it anyway."

"Huh? Why did I kill her? She was getting in the way! I saw you talking to her, you even called her a good girl! I'll always be the only woman OR Pokémon if your life!"

"Where are you going, sweetie? You just got back home. Let's play in the bedroom like I asked!"

"…"

Hey… If you're going to try run away from me…. I'll cut off your legs. Then you'll never be able to get away from me."

"Now, come here and let me wrap you up in my tentacles!"

As you can see, entering such a relationship with Frillish is a huge risk. They are loyal, loving and devoted, but in this case those are _bad _things.

**Battling: **Physically speaking Frillish are quite weak. They rely on their ghostly affiliation to shield them from powerful physical attacks and they rely on their powerful, poisonous tentacles to subdue their foes. Frillish is almost useless in battle until it can get its tentacles on the foe, but once it does it's all over. At that point they can poison the foe, strangle, snap its bones, tears its skin off, or any other gruesome ploy.

Normally Fire types are good at dealing with such close range Pokémon, but Frillish resits Fire easily! Electric types are still a huge however, as they can electrocute Frillish when it comes into contact. If you're up against one of them you should send something other than Frillish out. There are some other examples where Frillish is no use, such as Vanillish. You should know when and where to use Frillish appropriately. To make matters worse Frillish can turn partially translucent in the water, making it highly difficult to see. Once in the water the battle is already decided, say goodbye to your foe while you can. If you can try to force every battle to happen in the water, your defeats will be far and few between.

In other words, you don't really need to worry about things such as typing, stats or moves. Just get Frillish in there and wrap them up in its tentacles! From there on out, you opponents can do nothing as they are torn into pieces.

Oh, And I have to remind you that battles involving Frillish tend to end in a gory manner. To them a hunt isn't satisfying unless the enemy is dead, after all. Sometimes they even collect little body parts as trophies of their endeavours.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Other Pokémon don't like Frillish, and Frillish doesn't like other Pokémon. Your Pokémon might trust a Cofagrigus more than they trust a Frillish, and that really means something. This is because Cofagrigus is generally only interested in killing you, whereas Frillish may well go after your Pokémon too. It's really only a Pokémon for people who want one Pokémon and one Pokémon only. With patience you can convince them to work alongside, but one faction usually ends up eliminating the other. Even with strong Pokémon, Frillish can easily kill them off one by one in the night. Even with something as mighty as a Haxorus, all Frillish has to do is sneak up, warp its tentacles around Haxorus' neck, and _squeeze. _I lost my Pokémon to Frillish… And I don't want you to suffer the same fate.

**Warnings: (!) **When I said they were the most prolific mass-murders in Unova, _I wasn't kidding. _They can kill you, your Pokémon, and everyone else living with you in one night and disappear before dawn. They have brought literally _hundreds_ of thousands of people to a watery grave, and you can easily join them. They know how to use their tentacles to torture people to their last, agonizing breath, and they relish knowing that. Do you want to die?

**Summary: **I can't recommend getting this Pokémon. Even without my bias, Frillish is still a horribly murderous Pokémon that causes nothing but suffering where they go. So many people are killed a year by Frillish that the newspapers don't even bother to take notice of it anymore. Everyone's afraid of this Pokémon and for good reason; it's a psychotic jellyfish that loves to murder and torture people. Sure it can make a good companion once bonded with, but the risk of trying to catch one is far too costly to even consider it.

**Next Time… Number 099 Jellicent!**

Fuhri's Note: That was hard to do. Trying to write about something neutrally even when you hate it with a passion, it's really hard. You probably aren't concerned with my little story about my dear Pokémon dying, you read this guide to learn about Pokémon, not learn about my personal life after all. But you'll never understand painful it is to lose a Pokémon until you experience it first-hand. But to be honest, I feel a little more at peace about Mienfoo after writing this, as if it made his death no longer in vain, because now you know how terrible Frillish are and you might not follow in my idiotic footsteps. Please take care of your Pokémon…

…

…

_Mienfoo…_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to Rastan for his suggestions this chapter! Just so you know, I have nothing against Frillish. In fact, I like it a lot, especially the female ones. Professor Fuhri is the one who hates them, for reasons he's explained. No matter how much I like a Pokémon, I can't change it's canon behaviour, so the decision to make Frillish ax-crazy murders was decided before I even began writing this guide. **

**Now, it's time for YOU to be creative. How do you think Frillish became Ghost types? Were they always that way? Was it because they were cursed? Or because of all of the countless lives they've ended? I'd love to see your ideas.**


	110. 099 Jellicent

**Number: **# 099

**Type: **Water - Ghost

**Species: **Floating

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Burungel

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely Low

**Description: **Undella Bay is the deepest body of water near the Unovan Coast, and within it lurks the most horrific of marine predators; Jellicent.

"The fate of the ships and crew that wander into Jellicent's habitat: all sunken, all lost, all vanished."

"Their favourite food is life energy."

"It's said there's a castle of ships Jellicent have sunk on the seafloor."

From these snippets taken from Jellicent's Pokédex entries, you can tell that Jellicent isn't a nice Pokémon. But those few sentences do not come _close _to how sinister Jellicent really is. In fact, it could contestably be called the most sinister Pokémon in Unova, and it certainly ranks highly amongst the other evildoers of this world. It _is _a high ranking member of the Dangerous Seven, after all.

Why Jellicent behaves the way it does, it's goals or intentions and the history behind at are unanswered questions, ones that will most likely remain unanswered forever. As with all mysteries in this world speculation runs rampant and what little truth we have quickly gets buried under mountains of lies, made-up stories and forgeries. Getting the real truth would mean to dive deep underwater and ask the Jellicent themselves; a notion certainly resulting in death.

Somewhere halfway to the bottom of Undella Bay lies the Abyssal Ruins, the derelict remains of a once proud civilisation. Just like the Relic Castle, this place was filled with industrious people who were led by a kind and loving king. But in the span of one day they all vanished; leaving their civilisation to sink into the deep ocean; never to rise again. There are no signs of damage to the ruins, and no sign of a struggle or battle. Nor are there any skeletal remains to prove humans once lived there; the only evidence of human existence are the strange etchings carved into the walls, and the broken and worn out trinkets scattered throughout the area. From a scientific perspective, it's as if they vanished into thin air…

While we do not what happened to those people, we are well aware that Abyssal Ruins is the first place that Jellicent were ever sighted. Nowadays they have abandoned the ruins in favour of their own horrific castle, but thousands of years ago it used to be teeming with them.

But one fact remains certain; Jellicent is suspiciously similar to Cofagrigus. Both have a two-stage evolution, both are Ghost types, both have a sadistic grudge against humanity, both kill humans without mercy, both hide away in their respective fortresses, and both are linked to civilisations that disappeared without a trace. Could the disaster that occurred to the Relic Castle be the same one that caused the disaster to the Abyssal Ruins? Could the same entity be responsible? Could Jellicent possibly be…?

Since this is an informative guide, it's not my place to speculate. I'll leave that up to you, my dear readers.

While the Frillish are quite liberal and love to swim throughout he oceans and explore, Jellicent is more conservative. Instead they prefer to stay at home in their castle and enjoy and easy life; but they are by no means any less evil. This castle they live in… Very few people actually know what it is like, and of the few pictures taken of it none of them are clear. This is because it is so deep underwater that it is too dark to see properly, and going that close will result in your death anyway. However there is as least one explorer who has managed to make it in and out alive; but according to him it is better to die than see the horrors that lie within that place. Here's a little excerpt from his diary; and I _was _given permission to use this, by the way:

"_I am approaching the Jellicent Castle now; I am descending towards it in a diagonal manner and keeping to the side of the cliff face. At this angle it is unlikely that the Jellicent will spot me. I have to remain on edge at all times however. I have Eelektross on standby in his pokeball if things get rough, but I don't think he'd buy me enough time to escape._

_The Castle is within fifty metres away from me now. It is composed mostly of sunken castle ships, which have been arranged to create the most convenient layout possible. There seem to be many, many hallways connecting each 'main' building; it's almost like a hive. Ah, at the back I can see a broken aeroplane jutting out from the side. There also seem to be what look like trucks and trains attached as well. How on earth did the Jellicent drag them all the way here?_

_I'm at the side of the building now, looking for an entrance to get in. Hmm? How strange… even though there is no possible way electricity could function down here, a dull ambient blue glow is emanating from within all of the windows. It's almost ghostly in nature… what trickery is this?_

_I found a hole in the side of a hull, and I'm moving in now. I'll mark this exit on my GPS if I need to make a hurried escape. The interior of this room is rather normal; It is filled with the sorts of things you would expect to find in a sunken castle. However, there are signs of Frillish and Jellicent living here. From its layout, I could assume that this is some sort of lounge or living room. I'll press onward and keep watchful. This strange light is still throughout the building. Even though there is no source that the light could be coming from, it is still here. _

_I've been moving throughout the castle for approximately ten minutes now, keeping low. I've had a few close encounters with the occupants, but I've remained undetected every single time. In one room, two Jellicent and two Frillish were gathered around a table, as if they were a family. I couldn't see what they were doing, but I could hear them laughing heartily and I could also hear the snapping of bones. I didn't investigate further._

_So far, nothing out of the ordinary has been discovered. I've come across a few human and Pokémon skeletons, but I was expecting that. Ugh, there's a Samurott skeleton tied to the roof like some sort of chandelier over there, I can see broken light bulbs dangling from its ribcage, how horrible. I'll leave here and move onto the next room…_

_AAAAAAAAGGGHH! HOLY SHIT ARCEUS FUCK! WHAT THE HELL IS THIIIIIIIIIIS!_

…

_I feel ill…_

…

_This whole hallway… It's decorated with human skin. The walls, the roof, the floor, it's as if they've skinned a hundred humans and stitched the skins together to make a fucked up wallpaper… Oh Arceus, I can even see faces staring at me from the walls of flesh… LET ME OUT NOW!_

_UURK, the next room is worse! There's corpses everywhere just floating in midwater; this- this place looks like some sort of kitchen! Yes, I can see plates set out with intestines and other entrails laid out on them. A-are they really going to eat all these human bodies?!_

_That's it. I can't handle this sickening place anymore. I've called Eelektross out and he's blasted a hole in the wall. I can hear the Jellicent crying out in surprise, but it doesn't matter. Me and Eelektross are already ascending to the surface as quickly as we possibly can. I am NEVER going back to that demonic place ever again. If I ever did, it would be to destroy it!"_

_Entry # 099 of David Werther's Diary_

Pretty messed up, huh? After he released that statement terror was struck into the public and the Pokémon league was urged to place restrictions on accessing the castle. It's still possible to go there, but no one would ever want to. After all, the only other people you'll find there are the bodies of all of the people Frillish and Jellicent have killed. Oh, and please excuse the swearing in the article. Since I use the Audtype to write this guide, I had to read the whole paragraph to it, and I had to scream the swear words out loudly too. I hope no one calls the police…

**Personality: **From what we know, they murder people, skin them, and make wallpaper out of that skin. They. Are. Monsters!

But if you put aside their murderous tendencies and sadistic attitude, they actually make good company. Imagine a family of four, a man, his wife, and their son and daughter. They are always smiling and positive, live happy lives and they watch out for each other. Oh, and they love to murder people and treat it as a family occasion. Cutting up someone is fun, but cutting up someone with family is ever more fun!

Replace the mother and father with a male and female Jellicent, and replace the kids with Frillish, and you have the average Jellicent and Frillish family. It's no surprise they're called the creepiest family in Unova. In honesty if there are no humans of Pokémon nearby to mutilate, they're quite a happy group of people. That's extremely dissonant compared to that prior diary entry, isn't it?

Jellicent, alongside Cofagrigus and Chandelure, is regarded as the face of evil in Unova. Whenever you mention Jellicent, the first thing brought to the mind is their long history of sadistic murder. Because of that, Jellicent is very infamous and suffers from a lot of hate crimes. But while they are shameless killers, their reasoning is a little less evil that Cofagrigus and Chandelure.

Life is but a short moment of time, and humans have the shortest lives of all. But once you die, you have an eternity of afterlife to enjoy. Because you have such a generous amount of time waiting for you after death, you shouldn't be concerned that such a short and fleeting moment such as mortal life is taken away from you. – That is Jellicent's reasoning as to why they hold no regret over killing humans. However, when asked _why_ they kill humans, they explain that it is fun, and human is delicious. The fact that we have an afterlife is just a bonus.

However, both Cofagrigus and Chandelure interfere with the human's afterlife. Cofagrigus captures it's victims and turns them into Yamask, and if you've read it's chapter you'll know the rest. Chandelure outright destroys the soul, leaving nothing behind. Jellicent is both horrified and disgusted by this, and it refuses to associate itself with such 'monsters'. It's worth noting that they love feeding on 'life energy'; but according to them life energy is the matter that keeps our soul attached to our body, rather than the soul itself. Due to that, they are not damaging human souls.

A few years ago a small cult started up, which claimed that Jellicent were holy creatures that 'were freeing us from our earthly bonds'. They urged their own cultists and members of the public to allow themselves to be killed by Jellicent, with the intention of reaching 'spiritual freedom'. After they tricked a total of three foreign families into swimming and subsequently being killed by Jellicent, the head members were arrested and the cult was dissolved.

Giratina, while often viewed as a harbinger of death, values human life very much, and he does his absolutely best to protect humans from Ghost type Pokémon who intend them harm; both in this life and the afterlife. Due to that, Cofagrigus, Chandelure _and _Jellicent are his declared enemies. Giratina is also sometimes called the King of Ghosts and is certainly the strongest Ghost in the world, so every Ghost type fears and respects him. While not proven, it's been said Jellicent have gone to kill a human, and then witness as Giratina opens a portal from the Distortion World and stares angrily at them, causing them to retreat in fear.

The reason why Giratina is so obsessed with protecting humans is unknown.

Jellicent are nearly always upbeat and cheerful, even when in the process of murdering someone. They have a great sense of humour and always try to see the bright side of a situation. If you know how to tell a joke, you can keep them laughing for literal hours. The males have loud, royal laughs and the females have high-pitched, nattering laughs. When a whole group of them start laughing at once, it seems like something out of a horror show.

Jellicent have never been seen angry. It's almost as if they've been stuck in a state of permanent cheeriness, with a big plastic grin stretched across their moustache face. However it is possible that they can get angry, because if you commit an action that would normally anger someone, such as kill their child, Jellicent will not laugh at all and will relentlessly try to kill you. Whether or not it is angry or is taking your invitation to kill you is unknown.

Despite everything I've said up until now, not all Jellicent are evil. Someone live peaceful lives and have no intention of harming humans at all, any may even hide them from other dangerous Jellicent. However these specimen are highly rare, and while not discriminated against, they act as though the other Jellicent are ashamed of them. I can tell you now that it's horrible to be in the company of murderers, even if they have no intention of harming you.

Once you manage to thoroughly bond with a Jellicent, it will likely let go of its past and behave the way it always has- just without the psychotic tendencies. It's a big surprise to see such a ruthless killer to let go of the past like that as though it were nothing at all, but it shouldn't be so surprising considering that they don't see it as evil anyway. For Virizion, and by extension Sawsbuck, littering in the forest is a punishable crime. But for us, it is nothing trivial. There's a similar difference between us and Jellicent when it comes to murder.

**Lifespan: **Being Ghostly in nature, they have astoundingly long lives. At this time I can't specify how long they live for, because in the history of humanity a single natural death hasn't been recorded. Granted we've murdered thousands of them over the years, but that doesn't reduce their lifespan by any amount. I wouldn't say that they are immortal, but they certainly are going to outlive you and me.

Thankfully they breed at a very slow rate, so we do not have to worry about being overrun with them.

**Diet: **As a wild Jellicent, their favourite meal is life energy. Life energy is like a bond that ties our soul to our body; so long as you have sufficient life energy, your soul will always remain in your body. However if a Gengar or other Ghost type manages to steal some, you may start having Out-Of-Body Experiences. In order to get a human's life energy, Jellicent tear the human's body apart and hungrily eat the life energy as it detaches from both the body and soul. It's like us cracking open and egg and pouring the white out, so we can eat the yolk only. The only difference is that they eat the entire body too, excluding bones.

Jellicent prefer to stay at home and rarely leave their castle, so normally it is only Frillish that capture humans. Due to this, the Frillish are expected to keep the human alive until they return home, so the Jellicent can also enjoy the meal. Often the disobedient Frillish kill the human and eat the life force and the body, and then dispose of the skeleton, so there is no evidence to show that they had found a human in the first place. Jellicent get very mad about this.

Being Ghosts, they do not actually need food to survive. They only eat life force because it tastes delicious, plus they have fun killing people. If human life force is short in supply, they will start killing Pokémon and eating their life-force instead. Because of this, the area surrounding Jellicent Castle is devoid of life.

If the Jellicent manage to kill a Pokémon trainer, they will return their body to Jellicent Castle and place the trainer's pokeballs (with Pokémon still inside) on the shelves. Whenever they are in the mood for some tasty life-force they'll open the Pokeball, kill the Pokémon that comes out, and enjoy a good meal. In other words, your Pokémon are their preserved meals too. Fortunately some Pokémon, such as Samurott, prove to be too strong for the Jellicent to handle and can cause some damage and commotion before more Jellicent show up to help take it down. Of course the Pokémon doesn't survive though.

After they have successfully been bonded with through and through, Jellicent will stop attempting to devour the life-force of you and your Pokémon. However, it will still expect to have the liberty of devouring any Pokémon you defeat. Lots of Pokémon eat their foes, so this isn't anything new.

**How To Bond: **Jellicent will initially show lethal hostility, so for the first few days you will need to lock it up somewhere where you can see and talk to it, but where it cannot reach you. It would prefer to be in water, but that would inhibit your ability to communicate each day. If there is any space for it to reach through to you, _**don't **_step any closer than its maximum tentacle reach. If it can reach you, it will grab you and snap your neck in an instant.

For the entire time it remains within confinement, visit it every day. It's important that you do this, otherwise it will think that you don't care about it. Don't just sit there, try and engage Jellicent in conversation. Show it items and pictures and talk about them, try to interest Jellicent in what you're talking about. They are a very curious species and like to learn little tidbits, so your goal is to make it interested in what you're showing it, rather than killing you.

You shouldn't let it out any earlier than after a month, no matter how certain you are that Jellicent has become close to you. After a month if Jellicent has shown no sign of hostility and has been open and friendly, then you may take the risk of letting it out, at your own risk. It you've done well to bond with Jellicent, it might give you a big hug out of happiness. Have a powerful Pokémon nearby if Jellicent decides to choke you instead.

Since Jellicent readily become bonded with their trainers, it's common for people to just assume that everything will be fine once they make friends with it. This is a dangerous misconception. Jellicent's true intentions are always hidden under a plastic smile, no matter what it looks like on the outside, it could be thinking anything. Just because Jellicent is acting all chummy and kind, that doesn't mean that it's automatically your friend. It is likely that Jellicent is merely biding its time until it can kill you and dispose of you easily or without arousing suspicion.

Try to keep Jellicent as occupied and interested as you can. Their dangerous minds tend to wander and that's not a good thing. Jellicent are called the (dreadful) kings and queens of the sea, and they live up to it. Just live real royalty, they expect to be entertained, otherwise heads will start to roll. But if you treat them well, then they will reward you generously and remained steadfastly within your loyalty.

**Love: **Let's see. You caught a psychopathic murderous Jellyfish that likes to tear apart humans and make furniture out of them, it's big, poofy and rotund, and has lots of wet, slithery tentacles. And you want a piece of that? Yeah. You're crazy. I can understand people having a thing for all sorts of Pokémon, even Mr Slaughter-everything-that-moves Hydreigon seems to be becoming a sexy stud in the eyes of teen humans. But this thing? No.

**Battling: **Jellicent's plump and soft appearance plus its casual and cheery demeanour tricks some people, mostly foreigners, who have never heard about Jellicent before into thinking it's a harmless, safe creature. Those kinds of people don't leave Unova alive.

In reality Jellicent is a powerful foe and Pokémon without advantages are hard pressed to win. The only one that can outmanoeuvre Jellicent in the water is Samurott, and even then Samurott has to remain well aware of Jellicent's tentacles.

Jellicent's tentacles are deadly things. They can easily crush a boulder (or a _Haxorus_'s neck) with just a twitch. On top of that, they can deliver debilitating status effects and are nigh impossible to escape. In many cases the last resort is to kill something with fire, which has elicited many cries of 'kill it with fire!' over the years. But with its wet, resistant and ghostly body, you _can't _kill it with fire. This was the last realisation that crossed the minds of hundreds of Emboar, Chandelure, Charizard, Houndoom, Growlithe and even an Entei before they were killed by hoards of Jellicent. That's right. They've even managed to kill a legendary Pokémon. Granted it wasn't the original Entei, it was just one of his inferior versions that are born every now and then. But still, normal Pokémon shouldn't stand a chance against a legend, even if it's a weaker version. If you want to know about that Entei's demise, go read '_The Day A Legend Fell'. _A good book, I've heard.

Normally Jellicent will try to move in close and ensnare the foe in its tentacles, deciding the battle instantly. But until it gets close enough, it will use ranged moves just like any other Pokémon.

Hex is the only Ghost move confirmed to originate from Unova, and with a Ghost type like Jellicent it works well. While this normally deals an average amount of damage, if you can paralyse or poison the foe beforehand, it will hit twice as hard.

Hydro Pump is a highly powerful yet inaccurate move that can cause some real havoc should it actually hit the foe. You should wait until Jellicent has closed in on the foe before giving the order for this move. If you use it too quickly, then the foe will have the opportunity to retaliate when it misses.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **At first if Jellicent can't kill you, it will kill your Pokémon. It will even beckon young or naïve Pokémon such as Audino, Sewaddle, Maractus, Zorua or…

…

Mienfoo… into its welcoming tentacles so it can strangle them in an instant. _Keep Jellicent away from any Pokémon who wouldn't know any better!_ As their trainer, it's your job to protect them from harm, not just the other way around. This is especially so with dangers that you are willingly letting onto your team.

Once you've managed to pass that threshold where you can start trusting Jellicent, you can start letting other Pokémon interact with it outside of battle or training. It would be a good idea to keep your eye on it, or get a powerful, sharp-witted Pokémon to watch instead. You should watch it the way a parent would watch a seemingly innocent yet suspected paedophile around their children.

Jellicent's atrocities are well known throughout Unova. Don't expect your Pokémon to trust it, or even go near it. Jellicent might be a little sad, but you can't blame them. Would you like to stand alongside a mass murderer in battle?

**Warnings: (!) **No matter how long you've been with Jellicent, you always need to watch it out of the corner of your eye. Or better yet hire a Pokémon and get it to watch your back for you. There was a report of a Jellicent killing its trainer (who was also its mate) after 36 years of being together.

**Summary: **At the end of the day, Jellicent can make a good companion. You just have to be a highly skilled trainer, be cunning and patient, and know how to handle dangerous situations. Do you think you can handle all that? If not, then _don't bother _catching this Pokémon. It is far beyond dangerous, and it is hated for more than valid reasons. If you're going to put a killer on your team, be prepared to pay the sacrifices that it may demand. This monstrous creature of mysterious origin… It shouldn't be trifled with.

**Next Time… Number 100 Alomomola!**

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update. I've been pretty pissed off about this horrible, **_**horrible **_**Mewtwo forme so I haven't been interested in writing for a while. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Heh, I made Jellicent's past more complex, yet I kept it purposefully vague. Have fun trying to put the pieces together!**

**Even I don't know why Giratina wants to protect humans.**

**The entire time I was writing this, I had the image of a stereotypical modern happy family of cannibals, who always have creepy smiles and bake pies with a suspicious meat in it, and are always inviting you over to their house for dinner. If you've played Fallout 3 and discovered Andale's dark little secret, then you'll understand. With an image like that, it was easy to set the right mood for this chapter.**

**Fun Facts: Jellicent and Frillish have a unique type combination.**

**Every Jellicent uploaded to the Dream World, regardless of gender, will have the male sprite. This is strange as Ken Sugimori has drawn a female sprite. **

**Jellicent may be based on the Nurarihyon, a type of jellyfish youkai. It may also be based on the Crown Jellyfish, the Moon Jellyfish, the Box jellyfish and the Kraken.**

**It also looks suspiciously like the Pringles man. Now you cannot unsee it.**


	111. CelebritySpotlight - Dragon King Drayden

**Name: **Drayden

**Japanese Name: **Shaga

**Typing Specialty: **Dragon

**Gender: **MANLY AS A MAN CAN GET

**Description: **Drayden is a man of many varying talents. He is the mayor of Opelucid City, the city's Gym Leader, and an elite Pokémon Trainer. On top of that, he is the manliest man that you will ever encounter in Unova. Just _look_ at that beard! And it's no secret either, for the last _twelve _years in a row Drayden has held the award of 'Unova's Strongest Man'. But in truth, no one has been brave enough recently to challenge him at all, so he holds the title by default.

Despite being the capital of Unova, Opelucid City is rather old and rustic in appearance. All of the buildings and streets have not aesthetically changed in appearance since they were first built when Unova itself was created. Instead of being demolished and rebuilt, the buildings undergo frequent repairs and safety checks to make sure they remain as durable as buildings anywhere else in Unova. I haven't been to Opelucid City myself, but apparently the insides of the buildings are as modern as the rest of Unova. The citizens of Opelucid City tend to be old fashioned and like to do things the old way. Because of that things like anime, modern music and other more liberal conventions are a rare sight.

Excluding the part about modern interiors, it has been said that Drayden is the very embodiment of Opelucid City, as though he were born just to exemplify its morals. Because of that, he's been coddled by the entire city since he was a young child. Yes, it would be rather accurate to call Drayden the prodigy of Opelucid City. He was born into a wealthy family that had quite a strong influence on the city at the time, so people naturally took notice when he began acting as he had.

His favourable ideals, strong attitude and wealthy upbringing ensured that Drayden remained highly popular all throughout his life. In Middle School he was the star student, in High School he was the desirable jock. After he finished school he got his trainer license and stormed his way across Unova with his unconquerable team of Dragons. After he managed to sweep through Victory Road and storm the Elite Four without hassle, he quickly became known as Drayden the Dragon King. After returning home to Opelucid City, the positions of Gym Leader and Mayor were almost literally handed to him on a silver platter. His entire life has been so insanely successful that inevitably many people have hated him out of jealousy.

Because he has snow white hair, the most badass beard in history and dresses in old fashioned clothing, many people assume that Drayden is quite elderly. While he isn't as young and sprightly as he used to be, he is still only in his late forties. His hair colouration is due to a genetic disorder held in his family, and his clothing is due to an outdated fashion sense.

Drayden has three passions in this world. Pokémon battles, Wrestling, and Zekrom. Yeah, you heard right. Ever since he was a young boy Drayden has loved the concept of pitting powerful Pokémon against each other in friendly matches and watching as the strongest rises to the top. That was his whole motivation for becoming a Pokémon trainer.

However, he loves wresting very much. While he is far from a mindless brute, Drayden loves the power of brute strength, and thus he is _always _eager to rip of his shirt and leap into a ring. He wrestles with his Haxorus and Druddigon every day, and while he is no match for such powerful dragons, he is certainly more of a challenge than any other human. For a mere human to keep up with such powerful Pokémon…. Truly he must be terrifying.

His final passion is Zekrom. This is a little complicated and awkward to explain, so I'll save it for the Pokémon section of this chapter. I'm not looking forward for it.

**Personality: **I'm starting to get sick of the word old-fashioned, but it portrays Drayden perfectly. He's the kind of man who would come out and yell at you if you were playing on his lawn. Actually, he might drag you into his house and make you do push-ups. He has a loud and imperative voice that would suit an army general quite nicely, and he isn't afraid to use it when need be. Or when needn't be, maybe he doesn't realise how loud his voice is…

Due to that, children are easily scared of him. He may be the mayor of the capital, but to them he's still nothing more than a scary old man. When he's barking the new year's salutations and other annual speeches the adults nod and cheer in agreement but the kids shudder at the sound of his booming voice. Thanks to this his gym in always devoid of children and it doesn't help that the entrance of his gym is a dragon's maw. No kid would want to walk into that mouth to face that man.

Children often dominate the Pokémon Training world, so Drayden's gym has become a place where older Trainers can enjoy fierce battles without having to put up with little children bugging them about their top percentage Rattata. The existence of this refuge for the snooty and elderly makes Drayden even more popular with the high class gentleman across Unova. The Society Of Refined Gentleman requested to indoctrinate him as a special member, but Drayden declined, saying that he was too busy.

However Drayden is nowhere near as scary or gruff as the children would like you to think. He's actually quite a wise and calm man who likes to share stories about Unova's ancient past. Of course nobody listens to him and nobody but Iris is around long enough to see his softer side. According to Iris he frequently falls asleep in his mayor's chair when no one is looking, much like how a granddad would. All everyone ever sees is the big tough man roaring at his opponents and the crowd, so that's all they know him by.

However, he _is _Unova's manliest man, so it's unsurprising to know that he's near indomitable in every aspect. Even if a Hydreigon roared at him to his face, he'd be able to stare back without even flinching. As strong as he is no human can stand a chance against a Hydreigon, but he would certainly go down in a bitter fight.

Companionship is another important thing to him. As tough as he is on the outside, he gets lonely quickly without any sort of friend by his side.

He's a man who treasure's his passions. If you mention battling, wrestling or Zekrom, his eyes will light up with interest and nostalgia, and he'll be more than willing to talk about those subjects for hours on end. Just to get on his good side, some people have sat there for entire afternoons as Drayden went on about the rules and mannerisms of wrestling, how Pokémon battles benefit the world, and how handsome and perfect Zekrom is. Later on in an interview, those people remarked that it was like drinking a man-favoured whisky. Yuck.

He's a good man though. Never forget that. He has a heart of gold and his main concern is the welfare of this citizens and the Pokémon of the world. When he's not tending to his own needs, he's tending to those that need help. He's a generous and kind man.

**Battling: **He's the strongest Gym Leader in Unova and possibly the world, no doubt about it. The only two Gym Leaders that could compare to him in level of power would be Clair of Johto and Giovanni of Kanto. Giovanni hasn't been seen in quite some time however, so it's not like he's a factor at all. If Drayden wanted to he could have become an Elite Four member, but he cannot due to his position as mayor. He's more interested in working hard for Opelucid City that being an Elite Four member anyway.

His brute strength turns down the majority of his challengers. Most people who go there don't even bother challenging him, they're just there to chat or laugh at other people being utterly destroyed by Drayden's dragons. Drayden has been relentlessly training with his dragons for years on end, and thus they have become the best of the best. When training Dragon Pokémon, people always compare theirs to his.

There isn't much you can do beforehand to ensure a victory. The only types that can stand up to his Pokémon are Ice types and Dragon types. As I said before his Dragons are better than anyone else in Unova, so it's pointless to try and beat him at his own game. Ice types have a powerful advantage over Dragons, but in turn they are very fragile and can be torn apart quickly. Drayden has trained his Dragons to resist the cold, after all. A pure steel type such as Klinklang would give you the benefit of a resistance, but his Haxorus can cut through solid steel like paper anyway, so it's somewhat negated.

If you're really that desperate to win against him, you can use your last resort and train up a Vanilluxe. If you've read Vanilluxe's chapter you'll understand how insanely dangerous and troublesome Vanilluxe are to manage, but it will place Drayden in a highly difficult position. Even though his Pokémon have been trained to withstand Ice, few trainers are crazy enough to own a Vanilluxe and thus his Druddigon and Haxorus have no experience dealing with them. Use this ploy at your own risk.

**With Pokémon: **I was dreading this part of the chapter, but I can't skip it or anything… Um, how do I put this? Drayden has a very _special_ relationship with his Pokémon. It's common for trainers to love their Pokémon, that's how our species remain so close to each other. Drayden loves his Pokémon very much too, however Drayden loves his Dragons a little more than most people would even consider.

I'll say this now, nothing has ever been confirmed. He's never admitted to anything and no one has spoken up to reveal the truth. However it is almost certain that Drayden is at the very least in a relationship with his Haxorus. It's one of those secrets that absolutely everyone knows, but no one mentions it. In other words, it's a well-known but unspoken fact.

Amusingly Drayden likes wrestling with his Haxorus and Druddigon at night, when no one else is around. It's more for his own strength, as his Dragons could beat him in a real fight without thinking. No one has ever walked in on his wrestling matches, but lots of maids or servants have gone past the doors. Apparently you can hear a lot of grunting and thumping noises, and Drayden yelling things such as 'You call that a proper grip? I'll show you a proper grip!" and Haxorus yelping loudly. Dear Arceus don't ask, _don't ask!_

It's not known whether Haxorus shares his feelings. He might or he might not, as he is seen to be extremely loyal and highly affectionate to Drayden at all times, yet becomes timid and flustered whenever in close contact with his master and is unbecomingly submissive. Haxorus are normally very prideful and manly creatures, so seeing one acting like such a girl is a very rare sight. Is Haxorus just a shy lad questioning his orientation? Geez, I don't know. I'm just a Pokémon Professor who's wasting his time talking about random celebrities in the hopes it might make this book more sellable when it makes its way onto the shelves of bookstores across the world.

About Zekrom. It would seem that Zekrom is Drayden's idol, even when he was just a young boy. This is no surprise since Drayden was raised on fairy tales surrounding the two male dragons Reshiram and Zekrom throughout his whole childhood. He likes both of them very much, but even though Reshiram is evidently male, he has a soft appearance which Drayden finds disinteresting. Zekrom on the other hand is the manliest Dragon in the world, making him a perfect candidate for Drayden's affection.

When that mysterious boy released Zekrom from the dark stone and fought against N and Reshiram to determine Unova's fate, Drayden had rushed there to get a glimpse of his childhood hero. He ended up having to fight against the Seven Sages alongside the other gym leaders, and by the time the Sages had been defeated the boy and Zekrom had already left. Needless to say, he was heartbroken. It was the first time anyone has ever seen him genuinely depressed. I feel sorry for the poor man, although I fear what he would do to Zekrom should had got the chance to get his hand son that legendary Dragon… *_shudder_*

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Iris!**

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**A/N: Drayden's beard, man. Drayden's beard. I bet he could bite someone's face off with that set of manly hair. Personally I found it sad that they gave him such a small position in both the games and the anime. Couldn't he have been a little more prominent?**

**Manly, manly, manly. That word has been used so much this chapter, but it can't be helped. Drayden's a manly man, his Pokémon are all male Dragons, Reshiram and Zekrom are male Dragons, N, 'The mysterious boy', the seven sages, Professor Fuhri, everyone's male! **

**Except Iris. Although Iris is pretty tomboyish herself. I guess I should make her chapter extra girly to balance this chapter out? But there aren't many girls I can include in her chapter with logical reasoning… and Meloetta is the only female legendary in Unova, and she has no relation to Iris whatsoever. So I guess it's too much to try and balance this chapter out… Ack, what a conundrum. **


	112. 100 Alomomola

**Number: **# 100

**Type: **Water

**Species: **Caring - Nursing

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Mamanbou

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely High

**Description: **The Ocean is a rough place where those weak of heart simply do not survive. With the waters being totally dominated by savage Basculin, aggressive Seismitoad sulking in the shadows, murderous Jellicent and Frillish watches from the depths and now foreign fish such as Gyarados rampaging through the water, the ocean is certainly Unova's most hostile location. If you venture out there without preparation or disaster strikes, you're as good as dead. In the middle of the deep blue, no one is going to come to your aid.

No one but Alomomola, that is.

Alomomola, the big mama of the sea. Due to its colouring and personality, it is also called the Audino of the ocean. Alongside Audino, Alomomola is one of the kind peacemakers of our region. Just like their furry land borne counterparts Alomomola dislike fighting and would prefer to come to the aid of those who are suffering after a battle; in fact they dislike fighting so much that they may try and get in between two fighting Pokémon just to break it up. Unfortunately this usually results in them being dragged into the battle and getting injured, or even worse both Pokémon may get mad at Alomomola for intervening and proceed to beat it up from both sides.

They will even do this during battles between Pokémon trainers and wild Pokémon. This intervention often gives the wild Pokémon the opportunity to escape or to attack while the trainer is confused and thus people readily get angry at this poor fish; and as a punishment they may battle and catch Alomomola instead.

Like the majority of fish Pokémon Alomomola cannot leave the water and spends most of its life far from the shore. Because of that they remain well uninformed of how life on land works and they have no idea about things such as trainers or pokeballs or gym battles are literally anything to do with life as we know it. Thanks to that they tend to be absolutely confused and terrified the moment they are caught in a Pokeball without warning. To make matters as worse as they can possibly go, some trainers are stupid enough to bring their newly caught Alomomola onto land and then let it out alongside their other Pokémon. And then they stand there wondering why their new addition is thrashing on the ground gasping hoarsely. An intelligence test isn't mandatory to earn your trainer license, but it should be. Geez.

The life cycle of an Alomomola is rather typical of a fish. Alomomola mothers lay their eggs in and around the sunny coral reefs far, far out in the middle of the ocean, where humans are unlikely to find them. After hatching the little babies stick close to their mother and spend the first two years within the safe confines of the reef where larger predators cannot reach them. But inevitably they grow too large to fit into the ecosystem and are forced to leave for the open blue sea.

From there onwards Alomomola try and stay as close to the surface as they can. They like the warmth of the sun and the surface is a place where many interesting things happen. Strange things called 'boats' sometimes show up with weird creatures on board. Sometimes they take you away to their strange land and do weird things to you… In other words, we appear as aliens to the confused Alomomola. It doesn't matter, as they remain friendly even when faced with mysterious creatures.

Alomomola has scales like any other boned fish, but on top of that they have a thin membrane which has the ability to patch wounds together in seconds. Whenever this membrane comes into contact with damaged flesh it will patch the cells together, erode dead cells and encourage blood vessels to clot, and thus it can stop bleeding and heal injuries such as cuts, bruises, gouges, burns and any other sort of superficial wound. However it cannot stop severe bleeding, nor can it fix any severe injuries or medical conditions. Medically speaking Alomomola can't help with anything large than a 20cm wound or anything than goes deeper than 6 CM. So they can't help with things like stab wounds or impalements, nor can they fix broken bones, perform CPR on drowned people or anything else related to the respiratory system.

But even so they are fantastic for patching up quick wounds and so people often catch one simply for the sake of healing wounds. Since they absolutely must remain in water owners must buy a large water tank or remain close to a body of water, so having one can be troublesome. But it is pretty handy to have a healer like that on hand. It can save you thousands of dollars that would be wasted on potions too. Recently a famous rugby player (who shall remain anonymous because I don't want lawyers swarming me when this guide is published) was found naked with his Alomomola in its luxury tank. Expectantly the media went unequivocally berserk with accusations of Poképhilia and all sorts of rumours before it was confirmed that he was trying to patch himself up after a particularly rough rugby match. Even with the truth revealed he still gets teased a lot. Poor fella.

Injured fish usually float to the surface to recuperate, and this is another reason why Alomomola can be found here. Upon finding an injured Pokémon Alomomola will envelop it in its body and hold it tight until it has been healed as much as Alomomola can provide. After that Alomomola will set the fish free and say goodbye. Just like doctors and nurses Alomomola do not judge their patients by species or appearances and deal with everyone equally, and because of this and their helpful assistance many, many species are grateful for them, especially feared species such as Gyarados. So if you go around attacking Alomomola for no reason, expect _every _other aquatic Pokémon nearby to attack you. You might even find a Wailord diverting itself so it can crush you under its mighty weight.

If an above-water Pokémon or human finds itself injured or exhausted in the middle of the ocean, Alomomola will also appear, tend to the wounds, and let them rest on its back as it returns them to shore. Astoundingly, Alomomola know exactly where the nearest shore is, even though it has nothing to do with their life. Is this some sort of benevolent instinct they've developed over the years of helping people?

Since they are generally found far from land, it may take days or even weeks before Alomomola reaches shore with you on-board. This is a long period of time for one to be alone with a single bond and thus people rescued by Alomomola tend to become very close to them as that time passes. When they reach shore, it's common for those people to beg Alomomola to come with them. Even though it's just an ugly fish, sometimes people fall in love with Alomomola, insisting that under that pink exterior lies an intelligent and compassionate heart. Personally I don't care how intelligent or passionate a fish is, I wouldn't marry it at all.

**Personality: **Despite having a perfect gender balance Alomomola identify as having a motherly attitude about everything. They feel as though they should nurture and love every living thing on the planet and will prove this whenever they can.

Part of that motherly attitude includes being incredibly soft and gentle. They tend to exhausted or injured people in the most softest and caring way a person could be treated; they even coo or hum tunes as they delicately rub their body against yours and heal all of your boo-boos for you! And just like Audino, and to some degree Maractus, Alomomola selflessly puts priority on the welfare of others before their own.

Even if it means Alomomola dies of exhaustion, it _will _ensure that it heals you as best as it can and returns you to shore without harm. It's common for them to even wait around until someone comes to help or even for longer. There was a story about a man being drowned at sea and being rescued by an Alomomola, and after being taken ashore he was taken to a small lifeguard shack sitting on a wharf. The Alomomola who rescued him had waited outside the shack under the wharf, sticking by until it knew that the man had fully recovered. It's now known what compelled it to stay, whether it was concern, curiosity, a sense of obligation or sudden romantic affection, but any way you look at it that is a very compassionate thing to do.

However unlike Audino Alomomola can become angry, although it is far more temperate than the average Pokémon. They are very laid-back and care-free for the most part so you'd have to be a real jerk to piss an Alomomola off. It's not like it has any bad results or anything, as they would forgive you the moment you apologized and forget about it. They aren't the type to hold grudges either, but if you abuse them or manipulate their trust too many times they'll know to avoid or mistrust you. So in that case they're just like doctors; they'll heal you even if you have a criminal record, but if you get too abusive to them they'll refuse to assist you any further. You shouldn't bite that hand that helps you, you know. Unless it's Professor Juniper's hand. You can bite that right off.

As I said earlier they hate fighting and steer clear of it as best they can. If they find themselves cornered or unable to escape they usually submit themselves to being pushed around or beaten up just to avoid a nastier fate. Their own membrane can heal most of the damage they suffer and they have high pain tolerance, so it's of no convenience to them. But if they see a helpless Pokémon being unrightfully attacked they will charge right into the attackers and remind them just how powerful this pink fish can be. In addition to that a parent Alomomola will attack those who directly threaten their children, and a trained Alomomola will attack those who threaten their trainer. These are the only circumstances where Alomomola will seek a fight.

Since Alomomola is big and pink Pokémon with a soft curvy body and luscious eyes people readily assume every Alomomola they see is female, whereas if you'll check the gender tab above you'll see that they have a perfect gender balance. This is where Alomomola good nature comes in; if you called a male Lopunny a girl you would receive a free punch to the face. Call a male Alomomola a girl and it will look at you in confusion. Well I guess that can't really be attributed to good nature… that's more due to cluelessness isn't it? Oh well, it's still relevant to personality.

**Lifespan: **Pokémon adaption is a funny thing. The safer and docile a species is, the more it adapts to have a longer lifespan, at the cost of producing less offspring. On the other hand species that live savagely and fight bitterly adapt to have short lifespans and mate rapidly. It's not always true, but it's common enough to be a general rule. Alomomola is part of the first lot. Living peacefully out in the middle of the ocean soaking up the sun's rays and curiously watching the Pokémon pass by without much of a care in the world... That's what you'd call a peaceful life; and because of that the Alomomola have a generous lifespan of at least 100 years. There are many century-old Alomomola living out in the middle of the ocean that we will never see or hear from.

**Diet:** Fish eat fish smaller than them in a progressing food-chain. Even pre-schoolers know how things run under the sea. But Alomomola is a strange case that sets itself apart from the rest of the food chain. Alomomola is surprisingly big and strong so it would have no problem eating other fish if it decided to, but instead it chooses to follow the peaceful path that it has always pursued. Alomomola aren't true filter feeders but they stick close enough to the description to be classified as one. At night-time when they can't enjoy the sunlight they sink back down into the deeper waters to eat as much seaweed and other marine vegetation as they can. Seaweed is high in nutrients and there's a great supply of it, so Alomomola only needs one meal a day.

If you can't afford to let Alomomola go get its own meals every night then you can buy dried seaweed in bulk at any fishery shop. Because it's been dried out it would have lost some of the nutrients, so you'll either have to be generous with meal sizes or find something else to go alongside it. I've heard of a lot of 'seaweed ramen' recipes that Alomomola loves. Go online or buy a feeding manual form a book store to help you with that.

As treats you can give them berries to eat, but compared to the dull taste of seaweed it will be very strong tasting to them. Only give them in small amounts and be careful about which ones you hand out. Giving it too many Aspear berries will make Alomomola unwilling to east anything you offer to it, which has very bad consequences on the Pokémon-Trainer relationship.

**How To Bond: **Most Alomomola have very little contact with humans and don't know much about us or what it's like away from the sea. But they do know _what _we are and that we can be kind or cruel. Nevertheless they approach us with curiosity and show interest in us and our welfare. It's common for Alomomola to swim, play with or protect divers for hours on end when the chance arises. So if you play your cards right you can befriend a wild Alomomola in ten minutes flat. Considering most Pokémon expect some sort or promise, commitment or proof of superiority before they even listen to you, that's a huge bonus. Be careful not to ruin it with any bad intentions.

You would catch most Pokémon by attacking and beating them in battle before catching them in a Pokeball to seal the deal and _then _worry about making them like you. But Alomomola the peacekeeper will dislike and distrust you if you resort to such brutish methods. If you want your Alomomola to like you, you're going to have to find a way to win it over with words. Sweet talk it, be polite, and promise it some amazing adventure it wouldn't find at sea. The sea is a lonely, quiet place and a poor soul like Alomomola would love just the prospect of having a close companion like you.

Like all the other fish Alomomola _needs _to stay in the water. It can float on the surface and speak, but it can't fully come out of the water. Due to this impediment you can't spend as much time with Alomomola as you can with other Pokémon. I advise that you only consider catching one if you plan on staying close to bodies of water most of the time. Otherwise Alomomola will be of no use crammed inside its Pokeball and it will become depressed due to the lack of movement and interaction. Either way you're going to have to buy a large fish tank to install inside your house. I'd start saving up money now if I were you.

So long as you take care of Alomomola and act like a kind person it will come to adore you in no time. They are a very loyal species to the point of where they will lay their lives down for you without even considering it. Any truly bonded Pokémon would do that anyway, but the fact that Alomomola would to that for strangers' shows how selfless it is. Treasure its devotion, because it will save you at least once.

**Love: **It may not be a coincidence that Alomomola is in the shape of a heart; they are romantic creatures that fall in love easily. It was Vaporeon who spawned the concept mermaids and all of the myths surrounding them, but Alomomola is the one who has started acting like one. If they spot a young healthy lad out at sea, they will relentlessly follow him back to shore and then sing to him at every chance they get. Or sometimes if they find a young maiden sitting alone at the beach they might bring her gifts from around the water. Their singing isn't very pleasant and neither are their gifts, but at least they have earnest intentions.

If you for some reason fell in love with this fish, then it won't be hard to make it feel the same way. They love all of the cliché love crap so you just need to spout some of that off to them and you'll have them around your little finger. I'm… uh… not very skilled when it comes to romance so you'll have to figure out how to swoon the ladies by yourself. Just… act like a nice person I guess?

**Battling: **Alomomola hate fighting and they do their absolute best to avoid it under any circumstances. It's very loyal to you, but it won't hurt people under your orders unless it's to save your life. Alomomola are indomitable tanks that can soak up obscene amounts of damage, in other words they can act as meat shields while someone else actually deals damage to the foe. This species isn't all about defence though; their Brine and Hydro Pump can certainly blast some holes in enemies too. However their pact of peace makes them useless in battle. Unless you're constantly facing life-threatening enemies Alomomola will not be of use.

While they cannot deal with foes, they can certainly deal with allies. Alomomola healing membrane is matched with Audino in terms of healing potential. I think your Pokémon would love it very much if you gave them a bath while Alomomola tended to their wounds after their battles. It would be a great way to show both your Pokémon and Alomomola that you care about all of them.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **This species has an overwhelming sense of justice and a desire to protect those who cannot defend themselves. Alomomola instinctually gravitate towards young ones, elderly and injured Pokémon. On top of that their sweet, soothing personality spreads a sense of peace and calm throughout the party, and even as children they know how to take care of and raise babies and provide the care that they need. This and their helpful healing is what makes them so popular with the Pokémon of the ocean and what will makes them so popular with your Pokémon. The bonds of comradeship between Pokémon can be as strong as the bonds of loyalty and devotion they can have towards their trainer. Meaning that if you're a bad trainer and you start abusing your Alomomola, you other Pokémon will attack you to defend it, with only your starter possibly remaining loyal to you. It _has _happened before, you know.

**Warnings: **None.

**Summary: **Alomomola is the kind of Pokémon that everyone loves. What's not to love about it? It's sweet soft and caring, is practically a walking first aid kit, is romantic, kind and loving, can raise children and tend to the weak and elderly, and in every way it's just… fantastic. They're so useful that it's insane!

As a drawback, you have to take great liberties to ensure they remain in water and they can't defend you when you rely on it. This Pokémon is for those who want a caring companion, a ready healer or someone to raise young Pokémon. If that's not to your liking but you want something similar you would do better with an Audino. Arceus knows it'll be safer in your care than wandering the routes filled with aggrieve trainers.

**Next Time… Number 101 Joltik!**

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**A/N: I'm curious as to why Gamefreak didn't make Alomomola an evolution to Luvdisc, but I think I have a good idea though. Unova is totally different from every other region. The other four regions all have evolutions of previous Pokémon filling their ranks, but Unova's Pokémon are all totally brand new, with no connection to the previous four generations.**

**I guess that's why? Personally I'm glad. Unova's Pokémon are my favourite and I don't like it when they give previous Pokémon evolutions, just **_**look **_**at what they did to Mewtwo! I won't be pleased if Gen 6 has any evolutions or worse, any shitty forms for any Unova Pokémon. Don't ruin what's already fine, Gamefreak!**

**Complaining aside, we're through 100 Pokémon now. I went back and had a look, and actually that's not very many. By October there's going to be another 600 Pokémon left to work on, so I guess I'm only a 1/6 of the way to completion? Yeesh, at the very least we're 2/3 through the Unova guide.**

**Besides Keldeo, Alomomola is the last Water type to left, so I'll ask you this. What's your favourite Water Pokémon? Mine would have to be Suicune, the Oshawott family, and most importantly Keldeo. 3**

**And yes, I'm going to ask you the same question each time another type bites the dust.**


	113. 101 Joltik

**Number: **# 102

**Type:** Bug - Electric

**Species: **Attaching - Clinging

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Bachuru

**Human Friendship Level: **High

**Description: **This little yellow mite is the smallest Pokémon in the world; and it's also the most absolute friggen' cutest! Come on, how can you not look into those four baby blue eyes and not squeal due to a cuteness overload? If hardened murderous convicts can all agree Joltik is mega adorable, then you should too. Unless you have no soul, you evil monster.

Anyway, Joltik is one of the few species that has managed to integrate themselves with human society and become part of the living force that makes up its composition, just like the Pidove have. However we let the Pidove live in our cities on our own volition, whereas the Joltik forcibly came in against our wishes and proved to be almost impossible to remove due to their sheer numbers and tactical superiority. That, and no one could bear to exterminate them.

This species bears a slight resemblance to the Blitzle, in the fact that both species cannot create their own electricity and must gain it from other sources. Blitzle went out into the harsh wilderness to scrounge what it could from nature itself, racing around fields in the hopes of being hit by lightning bolts. For a while the Joltik had to do struggle in the wild, but come around 1831 when humans started using electricity to power technology, the Joltik had a cleverer idea in mind. After flocking to human cities everywhere, they began tapping our energy reserves to meet their own needs. Yes, the truth is that Joltik is a parasite that leeches off of us for its survival. They don't actually hurt anyone and their effect on out electricity is barely noticeable, so there's no harm whatsoever in letting them continue as they please. Life was relatively hard for the Joltik back in the wild, and the majority of them simply couldn't survive. The only place they could actually thrive was Chargestone Cave, but they had to compete against tougher Pokémon such as Tympole, who always had the upper hand. Because of that their population was very low, and they were a rare species to find. But the moment they came into our cities, their population boomed on an unprecedented level making them a common sight everywhere. Even though Joltik is quite an old species this population boom has labelled Joltik as a 'modern' species.

Joltik make their nests within attics, basements or any other small hidden location they can find within a building. They know how to avoid detection by humans and they know that houses are hard to live in without being discovered by the occupants. So normally they make their home within warehouses or large shops where no one will look for them. If things get tough they may have to resort to taking the risk of settling down within a residential area.

They always get discovered in the end, but no family can bear to hurt them. And even if they did, their neighbours would treat them like shit for months for hurting such vulnerable Pokémon. Instead it's common for people just to shoo them out or even find them a place to stay elsewhere. But in some cases people _enjoy _having the company and don't mind the stolen electricity. At worst it would only result in light bulbs occasionally flickering or finding your batteries all used up. But it's worth remembering that Joltik can not only take energy, they can gift energy they've found elsewhere. A few months before Team Plasma showed up a family had revealed that they had been sheltering an entire colony of Joltik, convincing them to steal electricity from other houses and gift it to their own, so they didn't have to pay power bills. Clever bastards.

Cables or wires is where Joltik generally gets their electricity from. They bite the plastic insulation surrounding the wire before biting the metal wire with their tiny fangs. Joltik are smart about this and they know not to attempt to take electricity when the voltage is too high for their little bodies to handle. That's why you won't find any Joltik near a power plant, even though that seems like the most logical place they would go.

Like all Electric types Joltik is practically a biological machine, so it's not surprising that they can amplify the electricity stored within their body to quadruple its original value. The amount of electricity it takes to power a light bulb for fifteen seconds is enough to give one Joltik a full meal and make it capable of fending off attackers. The amount of electricity that powers a light bulb is enough to non-lethally or lethally electrocute a human being in normal circumstances, so quadruple that? Joltik can finish you off without thinking about it. This is a good reminder that size doesn't matter when it comes to Pokémon. They can kill us all the same.

Joltik are found only within Unova, so foreigners visiting will see their first Joltik in our region. All over the world it's common knowledge that Joltik is the smallest Pokémon; but many, many people do not truly know how small it is. Well, you can't really say specifically because each Pokémon is not the exact same size, but the average size of a Joltik is four inches, or 0.1 metres. So normally a Joltik can fit into the palm of your hand. However as I said not every Joltik is the same size, babies are only the size of your thumb nail, and there have been some incredibly large Joltik found over the years. The world record for biggest Joltik was found on a farm near Nuvema Town, with an individual reaching 12 inches large! That's the same size as a frigging _Eevee_ for goodness sake! Seeing one that big would be enough to size someone a heart attack, I'm sure.

In the wild Joltik had to resort to more desperate measures. In order to gain electricity they would have to latch onto a larger Pokémon's fur and collect all of the static electricity stored in its fur. Sometimes they may have had to rub or rustle the fur in order to generate more electricity. Sometimes they even hump their carrier as a last resort! Even with Joltik quadrupling that amount of electricity, it's still pretty pathetic. It would barely be enough to feed Joltik let alone deal with predators. This meant that Joltik was nearly always in a state of malnutrition and unable to fend off predators. No wonder their numbers were small back then. And it is thanks to us and only us that their numbers have skyrocketed so high.

Normally a single Pokémon population becoming that large is a troublesome thing as they end up encroaching on other species territory or causing trouble for the environment, but Joltik are small, mindful and stay out of the way. Their existence has very little effect on both the environment and wild Pokémon, and even more so considering most of them live tucked away in human cities. We don't notice their effects either, so Joltik truly is one of the most prosperous species alive!

**Personality: **Humans are terribly judgemental creatures. We always judge something by its physical appearance immediately, whether its age, gender, personality, and in this case intelligence. For some stupid reason people assume that just because Joltik is the smallest Pokémon there is, it's an unintelligent animalistic species and treat it so. This is a completely wrong assumption, Joltik is smart enough to evade and even outwit the average human, so it's nowhere near as dumb as you'd like to think. Apparently girls like to pick Joltik up and cuddle it under this assumption, saying things like 'Ohh! You're such a cute little fella!' Considering that Joltik is smarter than anticipated, Joltik finds this very embarrassing. You probably have a whole family living in your roof that you've never been aware of!

Thanks to our electrical intervention Joltik has been pulled from its prior misfortunate circumstances and into a seat of power, our cities provide a safe and warm place for them to live, and we treat them pretty nicely for a parasitic species. Because of our (mostly unintentional) assistance Joltik are extremely loyal to us and view us as almost god-like entities. They won't hurt humans unless attacked first and generally have a high opinion of our species. They still hide from us for security's sake though; not all humans are going to return their kindness and they know it.

This loyalty could be classified as borderline fanaticism, as they'll often take sides with humans against wild Pokémon in battles or arguments. If a wild Pokémon such as a Purrloin tries to enter a human house, then any Joltik living inside will try to oust it with force. It's not like Joltik hate wild Pokémon; they just don't like it when they question our superiority.

Back during the wars Joltik suffered as much as any species by the hands of humans, and they were rescued by the Sacred Swordsmen alongside everyone else. But now they dislike the Sacred Swordsmen and criticise their 'crimes' against humanity. It's true that the Sacred Swordsmen committed some bad crimes during the wars (which you will learn about in their chapters) but none of them were intentional and were miniscule compared to the real crimes committed by humans.

Quite a few Pokémon species, both sinister and noble, view Joltik as a traitor and hate it very much. The fact that Joltik insult the Sacred Swordsmen and call them criminals only makes their hatred even fiercer. Because of that Joltik have practically been forced to live inside human society, because no one in the wild will accept them.

For a species that has suffered for most of its existence, comradeship has been an almost vital trait to survival. Joltik value the lives of their friends and family as much as their own and will share all of their resources to make sure everyone can survive. Back when they had to scrounge every last bit of static electricity from larger Pokémon, they would share it with every other Joltik that couldn't get their own. Among families and groups of friends, food and supplies is stocked up and distributed evenly, ensuring that everyone has an equal amount. It would seem that the Joltik social philosophy is equality and fair share. A single Joltik doesn't own anything, it all belongs to the _group_ of Joltik he is with. It was this considerate and fair attitude that ensured Joltik's survival back then.

In other words, Joltik have done something that humans will never be capable of doing, they have become what could be considered successful communists. The concepts of communism sound good on paper; everyone having equal wealth, everyone sharing, no poor people, no rich people, just people working alongside each other… With an attitude like that, humans could build a fantastic utopia. But it will never work. Why? Because humans are simply too selfish and greedy to let something like that happen, most humans just aren't willing to share their resources if they don't get anything in return. The only way it could work is by _forcing _people to be communist through dictatorship, and looking back into the past it we know it always ends in tragedy. Due to that communism will never, _ever _be the way it should.

However Joltik are selfless, considerate and don't even _consider _withholding resources from each other, they share as though it were impossible to do otherwise. I mentioned it to Fennel the other day, and she remarked that the thousands of years of necessary sharing might have become hardwired into their mentality as they evolved over time. Evolutionary-based mentality isn't my specialty, so I have no idea. Anyway, because of this caring attitude they can build a perfectly equal social structure without having to resort to dictatorial force like humans must. Using this attitude, the Joltik species can work together to endure through hardships that us humans just couldn't endure through together. I hate to say it, but we've been bested by the smallest Pokémon in the world. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Unfortunately when they evolve into Galvantula they lose their 'kind and caring communist' attitude and develop a 'give me your resources or I'll kill you!' attitude. What a shame.

Joltik are also highly optimistic and focus on the good points rather than dwell on the bad points. They so adamantly cling onto the prospect of hope that very little can bring them down. When you're a single Joltik starving to death in the middle of winter, an attitude like that is necessary. Oh, and they have a fantastic sense of humour. Even though they can't speak in human, they can still get a funny concept across. And their laughing is freaking adorable too, prepare yourself for a few nosebleeds.

**Diet: **Electricity forms the majority of their diet. Their body could be compared to a biological machine, so electricity can make their body function at maximum output. They _can_ eat normal food, but it isn't as efficient as electricity so they don't fare as well. To compare them to a machine, most machines run off of electricity don't they? But some can function off of biofuel or other energy sources. But the biofuel isn't as efficient as electricity, and thus the output of the machine is less. Likewise Joltik can derive energy from normal food, but it can't extract as much as any other Pokémon would. I still can't help but wonder what eating electricity is like. Does it taste nice? I don't want to try…

Do you want an easy solution to feeding Joltik? Buy a car battery and some jumper cables. If the electricity required to power a light bulb for 15 seconds is a proper meal for Joltik with enough power left over for Joltik to severely injure someone, then the amount of energy stored within a car battery will be able to feed Joltik for a _very _long time. I'm not sure how long exactly, but I can assure you that you won't have to buy food for Joltik again in a very long time.

If you don't feed Joltik properly it might start to drain energy from the cables or wire throughout your house. In most cases this wouldn't be a problem, but since they remove the insulation first, it will be dangerous to have exposed wires lying around your house where you or a young Pokémon might touch. You need to ensure that Joltik will come to you first when it is hungry, otherwise you'll wake up every morning to chewed-up wires all around the house.

**How To Bond: **As I said earlier Joltik are fanatically loyal to humans and are always willing to join our cause. A colossal amount of human-owned Joltik are ones that have moved into a human house and then befriended the owners. If you have Joltik living inside your house and you make good friends with them, then they'll start behaving like you own them. However this will be limited to the house only, as they won't want to follow you outside. At that point they make good companions, but they won't battle for you unless the house is being invaded.

Making friends with Joltik is easy. At first they will try to avoid your detection and there's a high chance you will never see them even if you know they're there. At this point you need to take the initiative, try leaving some old batteries or other energy devices in the attic, basement or any other place where a Joltik could comfortably live. If you're certain that you don't have any of these critters dwelling inside your house, you may have to search nearby buildings and take it from there.

As Joltik realises that you're intentionally leaving food out for it, it will come to realise that you mean no harm. If you keep that up Joltik will start to reveal itself to you occasionally. Try and have some food on hand when you next see Joltik about, and hold it out for the Pokémon to take. Try not to make any sudden movements and let it take the food from you, try talking to it in a friendly manner as though you were talking to a friend. If you're good at chatting away, Joltik might stick around to listen.

After a few repeats of that Joltik will be confident to walk around the house without hiding from you, it's practically a mini-roommate. Once you're sure you and Joltik are good friends, then you can offer to catch it in a pokeball. Give Joltik the opportunity to make it's decision, as it may have a family to care for or something like that. If it declines, you need to accept its decision and start looking for another Joltik. If you have lots of Joltik around, then multiple ones may request to be caught. I've heard stories of beginner trainers starting off their journey with their starter and _five _Joltik straight away, because they had befriended many Joltik before their tenth birthday. That's a fantastic head start for sure!

At this point you and Joltik are good chums and you don't need to prove yourself anymore. It already idolises you and is extremely grateful for everything you've done for it so far. But if you want to really forge your relationship as concrete as it can go, then you can try acting as selfless and considerate as Joltik normally behaves. You don't have to be a communist or anything drastic like that, just share what you can afford to. Even if it's something like splitting an apple equally so you both get a share will make Joltik very proud and doting towards you.

A lot of trainers who own Joltik find it incredibly heart-warming that Joltik shares everything with them. Even if Joltik finds some berries in the wild it will return to its trainer so it can share them equally instead of eating them all by itself like most Pokémon would. Isn't that sweet?

**Love: **I'll admit it; Joltik is cute enough to fall in love with and that's what many a trainer has done. Who could resist those cute sparkling eyes, that snuggly fluffy fur and loving, selfless heart? Obviously not every 13 year old girl in Unova.

Joltik makes great lovers who support you in every way conceivable and would go further for you than any other human or Pokémon would bother. The only issue is their size. Are you happy being with someone that small? I know that size shouldn't matter when you're in love with someone, but it gets a little ridiculous when your lover can fit into the palm of your hand.

If you choose to settle for a Joltik, I wish you good luck in the future alongside your little companion. Apart from its size Joltik can outcompete anyone after your heart I'm sure. Just _please, please _be extremely careful if you're going to try anything funky with Joltik. A creature of your size could do grievous damage to such a little fella. *_shudder*_

**Battling: **Even though it's the smallest Pokémon in the world, it is nowhere near weak. Granted it _can _be squished by a large Pokémon, but you should know better than to send Joltik out against something that is blatantly too tough for Joltik to fight against.

Joltik has well balanced stats so it doesn't really excel at any particular point, but it can use its size to great effect. Anything larger than a human is going to have a very though time spotting Joltik as it dashes towards them. Once Joltik latches onto them that Pokémon is going to know just where Joltik is, in the most painful way possible. Joltik can easily render a pure Water or Flying type unconscious in one hit. Any Ducklett or Swanna that step onto the battlefield are screwed from the beginning.

Unfortunately Rock types resist Electric easily, meaning Joltik is near useless against them. On top of that they tend to be large and solid and can deal ludicrous amounts of damage to Joltik; providing a lethal threat to Joltik at all times. Only an idiot would send Joltik out against a Rock type, so don't do it ok? Fire types will roast Joltik easily too, but so long a they can't actually see where Joltik is it might have enough time to sneak up and shock them before they can hurt Joltik at all. Stealth is an important part of fighting with Joltik.

Electroweb is Joltik's signature move and it's a great one too. Not only does the foe get tangled up in a web, they get shocked by it too. If you have multiple Joltik you can power up the amount of electricity passing through the web to insane levels, subduing even mighty foes in seconds. This is a good move for capturing Pokémon as it weakens them _and_ makes it harder for them to resist the pokeballs you throw.

If Joltik doesn't have enough electricity to use Electroweb then you can use a standard Spider Web instead. It's pretty crappy compared to Electroweb though.

If you can't get close enough o damage the foe, then Joltik can afford to use Thunder Wave instead. This move causes paralysis which will buy Joltik time to dive in and shock them as much as it wants. The more shocked they are, the easier it is for Joltik to hurt them even more.

Overall Joltik's a tough little bugger for its size and it can really teach people a lesson or two about judging someone by their physical appearance. But it's vital to remain aware of the foe's size and typing.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Joltik's beliefs on sharing and equality will extend to any other Pokémon you have with you as well. Joltik will request that everyone shares and will do it's best to make sure then everyone has a relatively fair amount. Lots of Pokémon will appreciate this kind gesture and will be willing to distribute what they have, but on the other hand some Pokémon will be selfish and be enraged that Joltik should even suggest that they share. This can very easily cause arguments and divide the group into different parties fighting for different opinions. The best way to avoid this is to watch what you give out and try to balance it so no one gets more than anyone else. There are limitation to this, for example a Wailord will need much, _much _more food than the other Pokémon, but everyone will understand that. It may still cause fights, but it's the best you can really do.

Joltik's kind attitude makes it popular very quickly with those who meet it, but you must remember that quite a few Pokémon view Joltik as a goody-two-shoes human-worshipping psycho communist traitor, and they will treat it like dirt as they see fit. Sawsbuck in particular dislike the Joltik purely because Joltik tend to disrespect the Sacred Swordsmen. You're either going to have to talk some sense into the nonbelieving Pokémon, or straight-out separate Joltik from those who don't' like it. It's a bad idea to split up the group though; that tends to make situations very bad indeed.

**Warnings: **Try minding where you walk when Joltik is on the floor. Your weight will crush it, but not before it unintentionally electrocutes you to death as an automatic self-preservation method.

**Summary: **Joltik is fantastic. Really, really, fantastic. I swear it is as good as or even better than the starters in making a reliable Pokémon and companion. Its compassionate heart, earnest ideals, and funny sense of humour really make up for its small size, and on top of that it is profoundly low maintenance and requires little feeding. If you spend any amount of time within a human settlement you're bound to come across one, do why not take the opportunity? And sweet Arceus, isn't it the cutest Pokémon in existence?

Fuhri's Note: Now that I think about it, I've never actually checked my lab or house for any Joltik potentially lurking inside. I have found some cobwebs around the back door, so I guess it's possible? Since I've finished this chapter, I think I'll have a good look before starting on Galvantula's chapter…

_*clunk*_

_Laladeedaa~ Juniper is a dumb cow~_

…

Oooh shit! I left the Audtype on! Where did I put it down? Oh, here it i-

**Next Time… Number 102 Galvantula!**

* * *

**A/N: **

**I WANTZ.**

"**Joltik, will you marry me?" – If I found a male Joltik in my house, that's the first thing I'd- Wait, I've already said something like that haven't I… Well to be honest I don't think I'd want to enter a relationship with Joltik, no matter how caring it is. It's far too small, regardless of how cute it is. I think I'd be content to let it ride around on my head like an adorable little hat. And if anyone didn't like my hat, I'd tell Joltik to leap onto their face and shock them unconscious. That's what you get for not liking my adorable, four-eyed hat.**

**Joltik is a relatively popular Pokémon for obvious reasons, so I'm curious to see if this chapter will generate any more interest than usual. I'm not the kind of guy who demands reviews from people though, I'm happy to let you all lurk in the darkness and not say anything like the terrifying mob of faceless people you are.**


	114. 102 Galvantula

**Number: **# 102

**Type: **Bug - Electric

**Species: **Electric Spider

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Dentula

**Human Friendship Level: **Low

**Description: **Evolution is a major turning point in the life of any Pokémon. Some make a huge fuss out of it and others pretend like it never happened, but either way it will forever alter their life and they will never be able to reverse the changes. When a Pokémon evolves they break free of their past life and start a fresh one, becoming who they want to be without regard of who they once were. That's one special thing about evolution; it lets a Pokémon let go of its past and embrace the future. No matter who or what they were before, it doesn't matter anymore.

Every species handles this opportunity in a different way which in turn decides what kind of person they will become. Unfortunately each species' mentality follows a very strict genetic and psychological algorithm that decides the kind of personality they will have. Unlike Pokémon a human's personality is not determined by what race or creed we are born into, so it's a hard concept for us to grasp.

Anyway, as I said before Pokémon are given a second (or even third) chance when they evolve to be a different person, but it is normally dictated by what species they are. All Cottonee evolve into naughty Whimsicott, all Minccino evolve into snooty Cinccino, and so on and so forth. Unsurprisingly your morality makes up a huge part of your personality and thus how good or how evil a Pokémon is is also decided by their species. Some species such as Tepig and Oshawott start of as good people, and remain good even after evolving. Some species such as Frillish and Deino start off evil, and remain that way after every evolution.

But some species have a change of heart once they evolve. Previously evil or troublesome Pokémon such as Karrablast, Ducklett and Sewaddle evolve into kind and noble species, finding absolution from their past sins after evolving. And then there are the species that are born kind and gentle souls, but are turned corrupt and wicked through evolution. Lonely Yamask are twisted into pure monstrosities, friendly Sandile turn into brutes, gentle Pansage turn into mean rebels, and caring Elgyem become sociopathic eldritch monstrosities. Sadly that's just how genetics work. You are who your genes tell you you are. Unfortunately Joltik and its evolved form Galvantula are part of the latter group. Granted they don't fall as far as the other species, but they are no longer the kind and considerate Pokémon you once knew. They're quite the opposite actually.

Joltik cannot produce their own electricity and had no choice but to take refuge in human cities for survival. They behave themselves and their existence isn't detrimental, so everyone is content to leave them be. The Joltik have been fortunate enough to find a safe little spot where they can wedge themselves into human society without being a pain. But you'll never see a Galvantula in a human city; and if you did people would be attacking it relentlessly until it had been forced to leave with haste. Now that it has evolved, Galvantula now has to return to the harsh wilderness where it came from without looking back.

It's true that people prefer cute Pokémon over non-cute ones. At Pokémon shelters the cuties are always snapped up in an instant while the others are left to rot for years, cruelly forced to watch as young, sprightly Pokémon are whisked away to nice homes and loving families while they remain left behind year after year. To most people Galvantula is no longer cute in comparison to its pre-evolved form, so is this lack of cuteness the reason they are no longer liked?

Not in the slightest. In truth, most of the contempt directed towards Galvantula comes from its own actions, which are more than just sinister. Now that it no longer has a home among humans Galvantula has returned to the wild. Some are forced out, and some do this of their own volition. Some even leave while still a Joltik as they realise they are close to evolving. Most Galvantula remain with their trainer even after evolving, but they might run away if their trainer was bad. I'll save the explanation why and how they behave that way for that for the personality segment.

Chargestone Cave is Galvantula Central. As the name implies this cave has an obscenely powerful electric and magnetic force fluctuating throughout it, powering the whole area like some sort of dynamo. You can hear the crackle of electricity, feel the energy flowing through the area and most notably you can see countless rocks glowing a blue hue and floating under the influence of magnetism. I'm sure that your school would have taken you there for a field trip at some point; it's a staple thing for schools to do.

Any Galvantula who evolved in the Western part of Unova will immediately begin travelling there with the promise of a secure home. The summer months are the peak time for Joltik to evolve thanks to the frequent summer thunderstorms, so at that time it is common to see hundreds marching their way to that one cave. Oh, and that is also the most common time for someone to go missing while walking through nature. It's not a coincidence either, if you're trying to avoid the fact that I've already made it obvious Galvantula are a dangerous species.

As you can imagine Chargestone Cave is absolutely crawling with these guys. There are a few other species which live here, but they are all under the tyrannical control of the Galvantula. There _is _a reason why all the Ferroseed and Klink you find are scuttling around in fear, you know. Many people, especially tourists, think that this cave is a simple little tourist attraction connection Driftveil City and Mistralton City, but in reality that area is only the tip of the iceberg. Underneath that are thousands of labyrinthine tunnels, caves and passages' forming a massive network that digs kilometres into the earth. This is the where the Galvantula have built their society, hidden away from troublesome, interfering humans. Some of the tunnels found down there lead back up to the surface and into the forests surrounding the area, and these are vital to this species as you'll find out about soon.

The Pokémon League has blocked off any potential ways to get down there and they avoid releasing information about it, so people usually don't know about it at all. That's a little annoying because people are always asking me 'If all the Galvantula live in Chargestone Cave like you say, why can't I find any when I go there?' and when I explain about Chargestone's lower realm they don't believe me and post reports criticizing my competence as a professor. Fantastic. Hopefully once this guide reaches the bookstores people will start looking into it themselves and find the truth.

The Galvantula stay well away from the upper region of Chargestone Cave, and this is because there is nothing there for them to eat. Ferroseed's tough metal shell is too tough to crack and Klink is solid metal, and the Joltik living there are too famished and weak to be worth eating. Wild Galvantula have no qualm devouring humans and there are plenty of fat tourists waddling through there every day, but the Galvantula are aware that attacking travellers would draw unwanted attention, so they let us pass through without incident.

The tunnels that lead into the forests around Chargestone Cave have been nicknamed spiracles by the scientific community. Spiracles are little holes that most Bug Pokémon use to breathe, but it is irrelevant in this case as Galvantula is one of the few Bug types that use ordinary lungs. No one really gives a crap about small details like that though. Anyway, since Galvantula cannot find food within their own cave system they come up through these and hunt for Pokémon and the occasional unfortunate human within the forests. Since the Foongus and Amoonguss are also out for flesh in this area many fights break out between the two species. Galvantula usually comes out on top thanks to their stronger numbers and kiting tactics.

If a Galvantula can't make it to Chargestone Cave then it will take residence within the deep forest and live a life similar to the ones living in Chargestone Cave. They make nests at the top of the largest trees and build their iconic electrified webs around the area, drawing in curious Pokémon and humans alike. If you're ever wandering through a forest one day and come across a web crackling with blue sparks, it will probably be the last thing you ever see. Either that, or Galvantula's mandibles as they clamp around your skinny, frail human neck.

Despite being a large, heartless, selfish man-eating spider Galvantula is quite popular with the youth currently. That's because Galvantula is very fluffy and admittedly even cuddly compared to every other arachnid in the world, and people these days are stupid enough to judge a Pokémon by its appearance. To make it worse people have little interaction with Galvantula, meaning they are oblivious to how dangerous it really is. Ignorance is the biggest cause behind people being killed by Pokémon, and that's why I'm writing this guide. So people don't wander off into the forest expecting to readily make friends with Pokémon like Galvantula without realising how dangerous it is. You probably bought this guide expecting to be told how amazingly cute and friendly every Pokémon is, right? Sorry, but I'm not a liar. Oh, and no refunds.

**Personality: **Before I go into this I want to remind you that your little Joltik will always be the same person, even though it has evolved and adopted a new attitude. It still has the same memories and it still has the same fond memories of you from before. So don't think it's going to abandon you, okay?

Returning back to the opening paragraph, evolution causes massive physical and psychological changes within a Pokémon. Due to a certain genetic deviancy Bug types are affected exponentially by this and thus endure the most changes, and this explains the massive change of personality that Joltik undergoes when it evolves. As a whole, for a species to go from caring and considerate to selfish and sociopathic like that is extremely rare unless some sort of mental damage is inflicted.

Galvantula is the complete opposite of what Joltik was. Whereas Joltik selflessly share everything they own with the people around them, the Galvantula hoard everything they can find and keep it to themselves without concern for others. They won't even share a berry if it would save someone's life. To compare, in Joltik society everything is owned by the people as a group and is distributed fairly so everyone has a share, and everyone works together to make sure no one falls behind. But in Galvantula society things are owned by individuals, not by society. Members are only concerned about their own welfare and not that of others. If you want to eat and survive you have to work relentlessly for it, and you have to earn your place in society otherwise you fall under the weight of the other Galvantula stronger and more fortunate than you. In Joltik society everybody fares well, in Galvantula society only the powerful and wealthy fare well. Although to be honest the Galvantula will come to each other's aid in times of extreme hardship such as torrential weather, but this is only done to preserve their species, not out of compassion. If Joltik represents the 'good' aspects of communism, then Galvantula represents the 'bad' aspects of capitalism. It's not that unusual; lots of Pokémon display traits from certain political alignments and in fact have inspired various politic policies. After all, the concepts of fascism and modern dictatorship were created by Jigglypuff, and Jigglypuff alone. Unsurprisingly Joltik and Galvantula are brought up quite often in political debates, especially when things turn heated.

Galvantula have almost no regard for the lives of other species, so they have no concern slowly devouring whatever creature has fallen prey to these Pokémon. The most heart-breaking part of this is that humans are no exception, even though we used to be their idols that they fervently looked up to. When asked about this they simply replied that they no longer see us in the same light they once saw us, and that we're as corrupt and greedy as all the other species told them while they were still defending us as Joltik.

The cute little Joltik are well aware of what they will become before they even evolve, so many Joltik become depressed and shy away from their trainers when they sense they are approaching evolution. If your Joltik starts acting miserable and depressed, you need to comfort it during this stage

Galvantula who have evolved under the care of a human are a lot less cruel than their wild counterparts; it would seem that the time spent with a human lessens the impact evolution has on that particular Galvantula's attitude. It's not that surprising, humans have an overwhelming effect on Pokémon and how they behave. If we never existed, Pokémon would be vastly different from what they are today.

First of all, trained Galvantula aren't dangerous towards humans and they still have respect for us as a species. They don't worship us like before, but their remaining respect for us is still within the spectrum of reverence. The wild Galvantula despise domestic ones and accuse them of being pathetic cretins leeching off of their human masters, but it's been said that the wild Galvantula are extremely jealous of the love and care that domestic ones receive.

In addition to that, trained Galvantula are more considerate and show obvious concern for the safety of their trainer and sometimes even their teammates, but they are still selfish compared to before. Trainers are often put off by this new attitude and promptly release their Galvantula into the wild, breaking its heart and making it despise humans more than the wilds ones do. Abandonment is a very harsh thing for anyone to endure, and Pokémon tend to let it overwhelm them.

In terms of actual emotions Galvantula appear to be very calm. Even in the middle of a raging battle they keep a cool head and plot things out carefully. Even if they're disembowelling someone caught in their web they don't seem to be affected by that unlucky soul's agonized screams. It's not that they're emotionless; it's just that they don't display their emotions as openly as other people do.

**Lifespan: **As expected of a Bug type Galvantula have relatively short lifespans of around 50 – 55 years of age. I guess that's a good thing, otherwise they'd overpopulate Unova and overwhelm us… Geez that sounds like some lame movie plot, but it's actually the truth. If some species of Pokémon didn't have such short lifespans we wouldn't be able to hold their growing numbers back.

**Diet: **Some various delectable Pokémon meats and the occasional slab of human flesh sounds like a standard meal for a Galvantula. All Galvantula make the forests their hunting grounds, building thick intertwining webs crackling with high volts of electricity. They will kill literally anything that wanders into these webs regardless of circumstances or species, and kill devour it if that is physically possible. The only things they let go are Ferroseed and Klink or any other Steel or Rock types, and that's only because they are inedible and too tough to kill. There is a popular story of how Landorus once wandered into a thick Galvantula lair, but amusingly due to his Ground typing he was unaffected by the electricity, and merely shook his head in confusion before marching onwards. As you probably know Landorus used to go between towns blessing both crops and fertile woman, so when he mentioned it to the villagers and they explained how Galvantula had been giving them trouble, he returned to their nest to beat the crap out of all of them.

But seriously, any fleshy creature that wanders into those webs will soon be electrocuted into a stupor or even outright killed straight away. Galvantula territories are large and full of many webs which they must patrol in their search for victims. If you initially survive being caught in the web, it is almost certain that you will be fully conscious and aware when Galvantula finds you and starts to eat you. They are slow eaters and they like to take their time savouring their meals, it would take them at least an hour to eat an average human adult. Even if you scream and wail at the top of your voice they won't be affected by your pain and will continue to eat you leisurely, but if you make enough fuss they might bite your throat out to shut you up. Either way it is a hideous and excruciating way to die.

Wild Galvantula are monstrous, aren't they? Fortunately domestic Galvantula, including yours are nothing of the sort. Meat is an absolutely necessary part of their diet, but they prefer it cooked and served on a plate like us, rather than torn straight out of the chest cavity of some victim. They don't actually care what or who they're eating, so long as it's not human meat. Being that close to a human for so long has put them off eating human permanently.

So, feeding Galvantula is a rather easy affair. If you're cooking meals for yourself, your family or your Pokémon, just make sure to serve an extra plate. Galvantula will happily sit alongside everyone else in a civil manner. There aren't any special conditions or any special implements you have to make which is quite convenient, but be aware that Galvantula is going to be greedy and will become enraged if someone will do so much as to _look _at its food. Berries and other vegetation will make good snacks if meat is short especially if you're on the move, but it won't satisfy them very much.

Oh, and don't try and feed them meat from fast food franchises. They can tell the difference between actual meat and processed shit designed to imitate meat.

**How To Bond: **Hoo boy, if you owned Galvantula as a Joltik and it evolved in your care then it will still be loyal to you, but it will be far, _far_ more selfish and greedy than before. You'll struggle to see the adorable Joltik you once had in the sharp blue eyes of this Pokémon. If you try catching a Galvantula from the wild (if you somehow managed to find one without dying first) then it's going to try and kill you for the first few weeks without relent. Either way it is difficult to care for this Pokémon and even harder to make it like you if it's wild.

When children grow up into teenagers they have a nasty habit of disobeying and going against their parents, no matter how much they love them. Unfortunately Galvantula follows this trend as well, but it doesn't have the excuse of being immature and warped by teenage hormones. It's not going to rip your arm off or anything; it's only going to take you less seriously and will prefer meeting its own needs over your own. At this rate your relationship is going to fall apart quickly so you need to fix this immediately, through one of two methods.

The first method is by being the tough parent. Be stricter on Galvantula; if it disobeys you act callous, isolate it from the group and make it feel lonely, yet make it as obvious as you can that you do care about Galvantula and that you'll help it as much as it will let you help it. Galvantula may be selfish and cruel, but they get lonely easily and yours will regret ever going against your word in the first place. Once you come back to help it onto its feet after all that, Galvantula will happily return to following your requests. It's selfish personality can't be changed, but it's one step closer to your heart and one step furtherer from the path of darkness.

The second method is by breaking down and showing Galvantula how sad you've become by it changing so rapidly and becoming cruel even though you've worked so hard for it. It will begin to permanently feel stink until it repairs your relationship, so you're using it's consciousness against it. If a child watches their parents break down and cry and then realises they are crying because they care for their child, then it is absolutely certain that the child will filled with remorse. That's the kind of logic you're using against Galvantula right now.

When dealing with wild Galvantula you must remember how their society functions. Those who hold the power and fortune are in complete control and everyone else follows them in servitude or is destroyed. You have to ensure that you're the one in power, and that Galvantula never gets the impression that it can dethrone you. If you can convince Galvantula that it isn't worth rebelling for a fair amount of time then it will settle into servitude and will become accustomed to it. At that point you can soften up a little and start acting more friendly and considerate towards Galvantula. Now that it's heartless shell has been melted away, Galvantula will give your unanticipated kindness a warm reception.

Even the cold, cruel and mean Kyurem will blindly latch onto someone, _anyone_, if they show him the slightest bit of kindness. That is the power goodwill has on lonely souls.

**Love: **It's difficult to reach this phase with even a closely bonded Galvantula, but the effort it takes to capture this Pokémon's heart is worth it in most cases. Galvantula guards its treasure well, and since you'll be its most precious treasure Galvantula will guard you with all the vigour it can muster. As mean it is usually portrays itself as, this little spider can be a real snugly bug when it comes to being affectionate with their human mate. You'll forever be the only person Galvantula will ever be interested in sharing its personal things with. If Galvantula brings some dirty object up to you then you should pay great attention to it; that dirty object is probably Galvantula's favourite item and would like it if you appreciated it too.

The only drawback about having this arachnid as a mate is its possessive attitude. It's going to guard you closely and fiercely and anyone who tries to get to you is going to be shocked by both Galvantula's jealous rage and his electric webs of fury. And if you purposely try and get close to someone else, Galvantula is going to feel betrayed and abandoned, putting you in a very sticky situation. (Sometimes literally. If a mate tries to leave Galvantula it might tie them up in its webs so they can't leave it.) If you don't mind dealing with jealousy or devoting yourself to Galvantula completely, then Galvantula will make a fine companion.

**Battling: **Galvantula's battles rely very heavily on strategy. Galvantula doesn't have much raw strength; yet it is very fast and its attacks sting. Rather than going up directly against foes Galvantula prefers to skirt around their attacks and deal with them while they're distracted. At that time Galvantula may fire volleys of its Electroweb to either distract them, bog them down or to injure them. It will also attempt to kite them around in an attempt to throw them out of balance or to make them become distracted from their surroundings. But in general Galvantula prefers to set up traps and wait for its prey to come to it, so pre-emptively attacking Pokémon will be very unusual for Galvantula. They enjoy beating up others though so Galvantula will happily accept the challenge.

If you're the sort of person who prefers to charge out into battle and send foes flying then Galvantula will be of no use to you at all. It simply won't be able to deal with most Pokémon head-on, unless they're vulnerable Flying types. Really, Galvantula is for those who are calculating and prefer to have complex strategies to take foes down rather than relying on brute force. You know those nerds that like both bugs and maths? Yeah, those scrubs like to use Galvantula a lot. So even though it's a fierce killer, Galvantula has been labelled as a Pokémon for nerds; even though many a competent trainer has used one. I bet that makes them even angrier at humanity for giving them such an embarrassing label.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **It doesn't work well with other Pokémon, in fact it barely works with them at all. The only people Galvantula trusts are you, and any other Galvantula you have on hand. Through its six eyes weaker Pokémon are only there to act as servants and fodder, and stronger Pokémon need to be treated with extreme suspicion. It simply cannot coexist peacefully with any other Pokémon at all. If they get too friendly with you, then Galvantula will get jealous and 'remove' them. If they are too weak in battle or don't fight at all, then they are of no use to you or Galvantula and it will 'remove' them too. To make matters worse Galvantula is rather unpopular amongst other species; because now it's considered a double traitor. It sided with humans as a Joltik, and now it's turning on humanity for its own selfish needs.

So there's not much you can do to resolve this issue I'm afraid. It would be easier to have Galvantula on a smaller team rather than a large one, because it will let Galvantula become familiar to everyone else on the team, and it will feel more like a team member amongst friends. Maybe you'll convince Galvantula to make friends with everyone, maybe not. But what's important is that you try at the very least.

**Warnings: (!) **Wild Galvantula are extremely dangerous at first, so you need to take huge precautions when dealing with it for the first few weeks you have it. Remember they are wily creatures and it will certainly try to trick you into setting it free. Even though you're trying to befriend it, you need to remain sceptical. It's better to not trust your Pokémon rather than being killed by them.

**Summary: **Compared to the kind, loving and generous Joltik, Galvantula seems like a crappy alternative. In fact, many owners of Joltik refuse to let their Pokémon evolve, and the Joltik happily agree with that decision. But it can't be denied that Galvantula is stronger and far more competent in battle, so if you're willing to surrender the kindness of your current Joltik and release your other Pokémon in exchange for a far more lethal Pokémon then you're free to make that decision. I earnestly hope it isn't something that you're going to regret.

**Next Time… Number 103 Ferroseed!**

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**A/N: 400 reviews, thank you everyone! Honestly, the number of frequent reviewers has increased so it's no surprise that the numbers have increased so quickly. Were you surprised how savage Galvantula is? Quite a few of you figured it out right away last chapter, you little sneaks. I should be less predictable with my foreshadowing. **

**Sorry for the late chapter, my internet was down for a while due to underground repairs throughout the city. Alongside myself, a few thousand other people were pissed off at the few internetless days. To make matters worse the holidays are over and I'm back at college, meaning I have significantly less time to write. Geez, what a pain!**

**To answer your question DiamondDragonFrost, canonically there is only one of each of the Sacred Swordsmen. That is to say, there is only one Cobalion, one Virizion and one Terrakion. So yes, it will be about those three brave men. Whether or not there is more than one Keldeo is possibly debatable, as his mother would have been a Keldeo too. But considering she died and another Keldeo has not been proven to exist, it's likely that Keldeo is the last survivor of his now extinct species. So for the purposes of this guide I'm going to act as though Keldeo is canonically the only Keldeo left; it's not like I can be proven wrong or anything.**


	115. 103 Ferroseed

**Note: There's a considerably large Author's Note at the end of this chapter, but it only talks/discusses about the new information regarding X and Y, rather than the guide. So if you're not interested in the sixth generation of Pokémon, or you want to remain clueless about it until the games are released in October, then it would be better to skip it.**

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**Number: **# 103

**Type: **Grass - Steel

**Species: **Thorn Seed – Thorny Leech

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Tesseed

**Human Friendship Level: **Medium

**Description: **Ferroseed… It's such a silly little Pokémon. It's evolved form Ferrothorn is certainly fearsome, but in its current form its more than underwhelming. But whenever someone sees Ferroseed for the first time there's just one question that inevitably pops up. Just what the hell is it? Is it a ball of metal? A machine? A grenade? Or is it one of those spinning toys that children put in small arenas to fight? Well, in reality it is essentially nothing more than a sentient seed-like Pokémon trapped inside an impregnable iron shell, waiting to burst free. Unfortunately this little seed will never escape its metal prison, even when it evolves. There are some binding shackles that simply cannot be removed, it seems.

Not many people bother to think about this curious little critter, but those who do often remark that they have a sense of sympathy towards it. And it is true, this Pokémon deserves just a little bit of sympathy for the plight it endures. As you can see Ferroseed has no limbs or even body parts whatsoever, it is just one rotund shape with multiple spikes jutting out of it. Unlike other Pokémon who share a similar body design Ferroseed cannot lift itself through psychic powers, in fact it is so helpless it can't even get itself five centre metres off of the ground! It's only option of mobility is to roll around on the floor pathetically. Voltorb and Electrode do the same thing, but they have perfectly round bodies; meaning it causes very few problems. However, Ferroseed has multiple jagged spikes covering its metallic body, meaning it cannot roll in a straight line and instead must roll sporadically in whatever direction it wishes to go and just hope it gets there. It often fails in that attempt.

To make matters as worse as they can possibly go, the floors of the caves where Ferroseed live are rough and filled with rocks and pebbles. Needless to say, they are a very pathetic sight when you come across them. Some kids only catch one so they can kick it down the road the way you would with a can or pebble. Unsurprisingly Ferroseed doesn't take kindly to this kind of treatment and fill those kids with spikes. I can't stop you from kicking your Pokémon down the road, but I _can _tell you that it will cause you a world of pain.

This species physiology is rather unique, the only Pokémon comparable is Seedot; but there is still one stark difference. Seedot is actually a living seed, including the shell exterior too. But Ferroseed is a living creature that _imitates _a seed, hiding away within the safe confines of an armoured shell. They are born into their shells, but it is not a part of them, no more than the clothes you wear on your back are a living part of your body! The eyes are the only weak part of their body, but those can grow back very quickly if damaged. It still means they have to go blind for a while however.

Truthfully speaking, if you can somehow crack open Ferroseed's shell and cook the Ferroseed inside, you'll find that it makes a bitter yet amazingly delicious meal. You can eat the Ferroseed without cooking it, but it's screams of agony as you eat it's flesh are too haunting to endure. It's considered a delicacy and fetches a very high price on the market, because no one has the determination to ever open any. They have a staggering weakness to Fire which allows you to cook them inside their shell, but it's still nigh impossible to get inside and eat the tasty flesh. Perhaps the whole reason they developed such a tough shell?

Ferroseed are actually quite a rare Pokémon with a considerably small population, and this is because they are found only within deep caves; additionally it takes them forever to roll towards each other to breed. Ferroseed don't have a mating season, but it they did it would make a good comedy show. Heaps of horny metallic seeds attempting to roll towards each other in the search of love and failing miserably… hah. There is actually a group of elderly Pokémon fans who go into caves and place Ferroseed next to each other so it's much easier for them to breed. I'd go and yell at them to get a proper job, but what they're doing is kind so my conscience holds me back. I guess old people have nothing better to do than watch Pokémon screw each other.

The Ferroseed are well aware of how weak and helpless they are so they stay well out of the way of everyone else. If you wander into a deep dark cave, those metallic sounds you hear might be the sound of dozens of Ferroseed frantically trying to roll away from you. Either that, or a Klink harmlessly chugging along, or perhaps even an angry horde of Durant planning to kill you. You better hope its Ferroseed…

**Personality: **It's considerably hard to tell what goes on in the tiny heads of these little Pokémon, for a number of reasons. Firstly and most evidently there is the language barrier that prevents us from understanding _any _of our Pokémon's vocalisations at all. To confound this issue Ferroseed's thick shell muffle's the faint cries that come from within, meaning even other Pokémon cannot understand what Ferroseed is trying to say. This even extends towards other Ferroseed! Because of this any interactions between Ferroseed are very dysfunctional and little information is derived from communication. Furthermore they don't even have limbs to gesture with… truly they are most pitiful creatures in Unova. Since we are unable to communicate with the Ferroseed whatsoever, we know less about them than we do legendary Pokémon!

From the little tidbits and observations thus far, we can determine that Ferroseed are a curious yet flighty species. They'll roll towards anything that sticks out amidst their gray and boring domain, but should it pose the slightest threat they will roll away with haste in fear of their lives. Hikers have reported they they've gotten lost while hiking and taken refuge within caverns along the mountainside, and then fallen asleep due to fatigue or hunger. When they awake again they are surrounded by hundreds of Ferroseed watching intently; but the moment the hiker moves they all panic and whizz away into the rocky confines of their home. In some cases they left food behind for the weary humans, proving that they understand and sympathise the suffering of other creatures.

Living in dark, decrepit cave all your life sure is going to make you curious about anything that comes in, but their fear is a little misplaced. Unless a powerful and hungry Fire type has visited then they have no need for concern at all. Although it's true that prolonged isolation can make you wary of foreigners.

They seem to have taken up aimless drifting as their lifestyle. Whereas other Pokémon gather food and make plans for future events, Ferroseed eat rock minerals as they roll along and take things as they come. This means that they live stress-free lives, but they aren't prepared for any disasters that may occur. Hah, they're just the way I was when I was younger…

**Lifespan: **It imitates a seed, and like any seed it is designed to grow into something bigger and stronger. A seed only exists to become a tree. A seed that does not become a tree does not deserve to exist in the first place. This is the harsh way the universe treats Ferroseed, giving it only a short time span of seven years to evolve, otherwise it will age too quickly and die. Few Ferroseed have what it takes to evolve into Ferrothorn, meaning it's evolved form has a very small population count. Despite being an aggressive species Ferrothorn loiters around Ferroseed colonies and harasses them into fighting. This is because Ferrothorn knows that by making more Ferroseed evolve into Ferrothorn, it will help make the population larger. Even savage, monstrous Pokémon have the instinctual desire to ensure their species thrives.

**Diet: **Once again, just like seeds Ferroseed doesn't eat food. Instead it saps nutrients from the earth around it. While seeds soak up whatever they can from the soil they're buried in, Ferroseed latches onto rock and stone to suck whatever minerals it can from the surface of the rock. It's main effort is to extract any traces of ferrous ore that it can, but since ferrous minerals are hard to come by in any old rock it will eat any other minerals it gets, Calcite, Chlorite and Potassium being some examples.

I'm not good at geography and I don't want to prattle about a topic I know nothing about, so I'll put this as simply as I can. Rocks have minerals that Ferroseed needs to eat. You find rocks and give them to Ferroseed to eat. Ferroseed eats rocks. Ferroseed is happy. You = good trainer. Mathematics yay!

In other words, so long as you can go outside and find any old rock, then Ferroseed will have no concern about starving. It's worth noting that sedimentary rock is something that Ferroseed seems to like very much, so it would pay off to take it to a river or creek to feed on the stones lying at the bottom of the water. Or better yet, you can visit a landscaping shop and buy some schist imported from foreign regions for a luxury meal.

Oh, and as a last warning, Ferroseed sometimes mistakes glass for food due to the silica, lime and other minerals that make up its composition. Just like the way you'd housetrain a young and clumsy Pokémon to not claw the couch, you'll need to train Ferroseed to not eat the windows and cups around the house.

**How To Bond: **Feh, even if you bond with this Pokémon you'll never realise. Communication is a very vital thing required for a Pokémon and trainer to bond and become close, and Ferroseed lacks this compulsory ability. Because of that Ferroseed and their trainers cannot become as close together as that trainer would with any other Pokémon. Without wanting to admit it, many trainers can't help but acknowledge that they couldn't care any less about their Ferroseed, and it's alien and unfriendly appearance doesn't help with this.

This combined with its unpopularity makes Ferroseed very sad, and this is a factor behind it's tendency to avoid human contact. Step one of bonding with Ferroseed after capturing it to prove that you care about Ferroseed as much as all your other Pokémon. You can do this by including it in activities alongside others and remain considerate of its presence always. Try sitting down with it and talking, even if it's meaningless banter. Ferroseed will likely give some muffled and unintelligible responses, but even though you can't understand what its saying it would be very polite of you to nod, laugh and agree in reply. Such a simple gesture like that means a world of a difference to Ferroseed.

Beyond that, there's not much you can really do. There are few quality things you can do with a spiky metal, limbless, mute ball. I guess all you can really do is keep up the kind gestures and hope that's enough to win Ferroseed's loyalty. Considering how unloved it usually is, even your simple respect should be more than enough.

You efforts may seem wasted now, but remember that someday it will evolve into a Ferrothorn and remember how you treated it. Would you like it to be a happy, affectionate Ferrothorn? Or a seriously pissed off one?

**Love: **Um, no. Why would you even consider this? Why the hell would you even want a metal seed thing as your lover? You know it can't actually do anything that a lover is supposed to do, right? The most affectionate thing it could possible do is roll around on dirt and try to etch 'I love you' into the ground; and even then it would probably misspell it. Geez, even Stunfisk is more attractive than this… thing.

**Battling: **It's hopelessly pathetic in battle. It may have extremely high defences and can withstand a colossal amount of damage, but offensively it's worthless. All it can do is clumsily roll towards or away from the enemy and fire off shots of Pin missile, with the slight hope that some of them might gaze the otherwise amused opponent. That's it. Pin Missile and Rollout are the only offensive moves it can use practically, and the only other moves it can utilize are defence raising ones such as Harden and Iron Defense. In the past trainers have sent out Ferroseed against wild Pokémon, only for the wild Pokémon to lose interest in battling and start kicking Ferroseed around like a ball. Unless you plan on using Ferroseed as some sort of cruel distraction while you sneak attack wild Pokémon, then it's of no fighting value to you.

There have been reports of Ferroseed using the move Self-Destruct, but this hasn't been documented scientifically. Apparently they can only use this move if they've eaten explosive minerals recently. Wait, don't tell me you're going to start feeding it gunpowder, are you?

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Thanks to its status as unpopular and unwanted Ferroseed has a tendency to become jealous of other Pokémon, especially when they get more of your attention. Its lack of mobility prevents it from doing anything about it, but jealously can quickly turn into hatred and feelings like that need to be eradicated from any Pokémon team post haste. The only way you can stomp out these feelings is by treating Ferroseed equally and fairly, which is what you should be doing in the first place.

On the other hand your other Pokémon couldn't care less about Ferroseed. The only time they would show any sort of interest in it would be if they needed a ball to kick around. A little bit of demeaning cruelty wouldn't hurt immediately, but once it evolves into Ferrothorn it will certainly try to take its gory revenge.

**Warnings: **Be careful when handling Ferroseed intimately, its spikes are sharp and long enough to impale your hand and leave a succession of holes in your palm as a keepsake. If fact, you should pick Ferroseed up at all, there's no reason to.

**Summary: **It's nigh useless, frustrating to care for, and in general there seems to be absolutely no reason to actually catch one. The only plausible excuse would be if you wanted to own a Ferrothorn, but realised that they are too rare to find easily, so you went for a Ferroseed and decided to evolve later on. Is that where you were going? Or maybe you're just a huge weirdo. Yeah, I think that's it.

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Fuhri's Note: Phew! Recently my assistant Joey went on vacation to the Kalos region, so I'm having to work extra hard to pick up all the projects he left unfinished. Due to that, I have less time to compose this guide then what I normally have. It's frustrating, I can tell you.

Anyway, Joey reported back saying he's discovering a lot of amazing things in the Kalos region that he will share with me when he returns. I believe he is currently staying at a place called Luminose City? Or someplace like that? I think it's the capital. I pride myself on being a worldly person, but the Kalos region is a place I know almost nothing about. They keep their affairs and their Pokémon away from the other regions too, so I have no idea what kinds of Pokémon live there, other than the starters Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie. But Joey's been bragging that he's caught some rather interesting Pokémon, and he sent one back to the lab for me as a gift!

I was pretty excited, but it turned out to be a generic and uninteresting bird called Fletching. Nevertheless I rang up Juniper to brag about my newly obtained exotic Pokémon, but it turns out Joey sent one her too! And hers was a really cool yellow one called Helioptile! What the hell is he doing consorting with the enemy like that?!

I guess I should be grateful that I have to opportunity to examine such a foreign Poke-

Fleetchliiiing~

-mon. At this rate I'll have to consider visiting this Kalos Region and-

Fleeetchliiiing~

Oi you! What did I say? No singing while I'm on the Audtype!

Fletching?

Yeah, you heard me! What is this? Some sort of foreign trolling ritual?

Fletching… Fletch! Fletchfletch!

Alright, that's it! I'm turning off this Audtype, then I'm gonna kick your scrawny-

**Next Time… Number 104 Ferrothorn!**

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**A/N: I'm having to spend a **_**lot **_**more time studying for my Japanese major, which is eating up what little time I have to write fanfictions. Or check my PMs. Or do anything regarding having fun. At the slow rate we're working at right now, I might end up finishing around the time X and Y come out, and thus I might start the Kalos Guide immediately after the Unova one is concluded rather than hold a vote. I still don't know at this point.**

**Speaking of X and Y, what do you think of all the awesome new information that's been revealed? First of all, the new mechanics and animations they've put into this are simply amazing. Walking diagonally? What is this sorcery? Riding on Pokémon's backs? **_**Awe. some. **_**If I can trade Cobalion over and ride on his handsome rear… That's all I need to buy this game.**

**The Pokémon are definitely the most exciting part however.? I couldn't care less about****ややコマ ****(yes, I'm aware the English names have been revealed. They suck compared to the Japanese ones as usual, so I'm sticking with the Japanese ones thanks. Plus I relish at the opportunity to type in katakana~), but the other three are something to behold.** **ヤンチャム****is the adorable panda I've been waiting for the last 14 years, and****ゴーゴーと****is an awesome new equine that you can **_**ride **_**on, but the one that really catches my eye is ****エリキテル****. This little cutie is an Electric type, so it's no surprise he immediately caught my attention. Plus he's cute. Cuteness overrides every other aspect.**

**Since we're all caught up in this hype I'll ask you this, which of the four new Pokémon do you like the most?**


	116. 104 Ferrothorn

**Number: **#104

**Type: **Grass - Steel

**Species: **Thorn Pod – Thorny Ball

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Nutrey

**Human Friendship Level: **Low

**Description: **Woo! Ferroseed must be pretty stoked with itself that it's not as useless as before. Granted their hopes of one day breaking out of their shell and starting a life of freedom were in vain, but at least they can walk around instead of rolling helplessly along the floor. Any prisoner can tell you that even the slightest bit of freedom is worth a lifetime of fighting for if your prison has been particularly confining. So even though Ferrothorn can only waggle its thorn pod tentacle thingies, it feels like massive shackles have been removed from its still heavy body.

Now, this particular Pokémon is rather peculiar. Its previous form was a seed, so naturally the next phase would be a grown plant. But Ferrothorn isn't anywhere near grown, and there isn't a further evolved stage to fill that role. At most, Ferrothorn could be considered a plant midway through germination. Did Ferrothorn give up on its dream of breaking free? Or does its genetics prevent it from developing any further? I at the least am curious to see what a fully developed Ferrothorn would look like. What would it be called? Ferrotrunk?

It's main body has been squished out of shape as its tendrils broke free, rending it into a flattened oval shape rather than an egg shape like Ferroseed. In addition to that the spikes that it could once fire from its body as projectiles have now hardened into iron spikes to match the rest of its body. It still utilities spikes as weapons, just in a different manner as I'll explain. Even though it's body is even tougher than before, with enough patience and phenomenal strength you can eventually open its shell and cook the Pokémon inside; however as a Ferrothorn it's meat is so extremely bitter that it induces vomiting, dizziness and in some cases delusions. Since it's believed that the whole purpose of Ferroseed's shell was to protect it from being eaten, why does it still have this shell if it is no longer needed? Not even a savage Pokémon would eat Ferrothorn due to its taste, even if it was readily consumable. It can be said that Ferrothorn's shell is nothing more than a redundant setback; although it does make Ferrothorn astoundingly resilient to damage.

In a world filled with Pokémon with all sorts of wacky, deformed and messed up anatomy (Juniper being a prime example) sprouting three feelers doesn't really seem like much, but these are what really make Ferrothorn a competent survivor and battler. The stalks of these feelers are organic in nature but are coated in a thin layer of iron like the rest of its body. While it's still tougher than normal; these feelers are a weak spot that Ferrothorn needs to guard. At the base of these three feelers are iron pods rimmed with spikes. At the centre of these pods are wide holes, where Ferrothorn can shoot its volleys of spikes at foes. Also, it's thick and heavy weight makes it effective as a mace. One thwack from one of those could demolish a Gigalith or split a Druddigon's skull, both of which are impressive feats.

Like its preevolved form Ferroseed, Ferrothorn hides away in deep caverns where it cannot be disturbed by humans or other species. Rather than stomp or wander around the caves like its neighbours Klink or Druddigon, Ferrothorn remains stationary and quiet for the majority of its life. With its feelers it hangs from the roofs of the caves, using the spikes to dig deep into the rock. In this state it is securely embedded into the rock and can even fall asleep without worrying about falling down.

Since it's still covered up in its iron coat it remains unable to communicate effectively, although it can wave it's feelers to tell others to back off. However now in its larger form it can let out deep guttural growls that would strike terror into the heart of any cave explorer. From experiments conducted in labs, it would seem that Ferrothorn is saying its own name, just the way every other species down. Its shell muffles the noise, turning it into an unintelligible roar.

**Personality: **We know as much information about Ferrothorn as we did Ferroseed, so this personality segment is going to be nothing to write home about. What we _do _know is that Ferrothorn has traded its prior curiosity for an introverted and antisocial attitude, and its fearful mind for one filled with malice and territorial aggressiveness. It has no interest in companions or having a family, their solitary existence is what they consider happy.

It's not actually evil; it just doesn't want to be disturbed and will guard its territory until death. But they have low opinions of everyone else, so it's not like their noble knights or anything. You know those stories where a cranky old man lives in an old house on a hill at the end of town and yells at the kids who come near his house? Yeah, in the world of Pokémon Ferrothorn fills that role. The cranky-grandpa-who-lives-on-the-house-on-the-hill- at-the-end-of-town-and-yells-at-kids role. That's a really stupid analogy, but it makes sense… right?

Ferrothorn more than often knocks out invaders and places their unconscious bodies outside its cave, so Ferrothorn is evidently above killing people. It shows no mercy in battle though, and it sometimes kills the enemy through brute strength without even realising it. In cases like this it doesn't show much sympathy for its victim. In fact they typically leave the body there to rot, so a cave filled with bones is an indication that you've stumbled across the Ferrothorn lair or maybe something even worse…

Domestic Ferrothorn are _very _loyal to their trainers, and this is because they are grateful to their trainer for helping them evolve. Wild Ferroseed struggle to evolve and thus most die without even coming close to evolving, so they consider it an immense privilege to have the opportunity to evolve. Coming back to that story, there's always a kid who befriends the cranky old man and softens his heart into being a nice person, isn't there? I guess that's the role you're supposed to play in Ferrothorn's life then. After all, it is through acts of kindness and assistance that Pokémon come to love humans for. How much Ferroseed cares about your other Pokémon depends on how patient and kind they were to it as a Ferroseed.

**Lifespan: **This cave-dweller can live for over 80 years, giving it the opportunity to breed and make its species' numbers larger. But Ferrothorn has absolutely no interest in procreating and has the sex drive of a rock. It's worth noting that Ferrothorn will sometimes loiter around Ferroseed clusters and harass them into breeding instead. Even though it doesn't want to breed, it still wants its species to survive.

**Diet: **Rocks and rocky substances still make up Ferrothorn's entire diet. The only difference is _how _Ferrothorn eats it. Instead of latching onto rocks and sucking the minerals out, Ferrothorn pulverises the rock into smaller pieces and then eats them whole. Using this feeding method Ferrothorn dig out tunnels and caves, devouring any healthy minerals they come across. But some materials are either inedible or taste disgusting, so they cast them aside and carry on. Exploring a cave dug out by a Ferrothorn could warrant you several diamonds, emeralds, gold, and other precious metals. Because of this miners used to use Ferrothorn to assist in digging before automated machines were invented.

In addition to that, they may try eating other steel types such as Klink or Durant. This makes them huge enemies wherever they live, and Ferrothorn dominated territories are devoid of other Steel types. It's only part cannibalism after all.

Ferrothorn remains easy to feed, although it may scar the landscape everywhere you travel. So long as Ferrothorn can dig downwards it will eventually find rock to eat, but this results in deep vertical tunnels that other people might fall down and injure themselves in. If you're going to let Ferrothorn eat in this reckless manner, I suggest you either tell it to fill the hole in again, or bring a shovel and do it yourself. You can be arrested and imprisoned for injuring anyone who falls into these holes, as well as defacing nature or someone's owned property. I guess feeding Ferrothorn isn't as easy as I thought.

**How To Bond: **I know it's getting repetitive, but as with all Pokémon who must overcome great trials to evolve, Ferrothorn is immensely grateful to you for helping it get this far. We can't evolve so we can't fully understand how much they appreciate it; but it would be like being born without legs and having someone help you grow legs, supporting you every bit of the way. That's a creepy way of explaining it, but you get the idea.

For wild Ferrothorn it's a different story. Catching it in the first place is a difficult feat, as they are famous for being tough, plus despite their size they are stealthy assassins. And even once you've crammed it into that Pokeball it will still dislike you.

What truly makes this task difficult is the fact that you need to befriend Ferrothorn by showing kindness and generosity, yet you can't be too soft otherwise it will run all over you and become even harder to control. And to compound the entire situation you can't come ten feet near it until it starts to trust you, unless you want to be crushed under its angry weight.

It's important to start off firmly but not aggressively, make it clear to Ferrothorn that you're in control, but you're in a position where you want to be friends with it, rather than master and slave. For example you could greet it with words similar to the following, keeping the friendly tone but upholding your sense of authority:

"Hi, Ferrothorn, how are ya? Did you have a good rest last night? I hope so, coz we've got some busy training to do today. Now I want you to go with Garbodor and spar lightly, okay? Maybe after that we can do something fun!"

If you take the liberty to treat it that way, Ferrothorn will be prompted to respond likewise. When dealing with intelligent yet antisocial Pokémon like Ferrothorn it's very important that you go out of your way to address them on a personal level. There's a high chance that they've never been treated in such a considerate way, and it will quickly break through their otherwise abrasive exterior.

Keep up the kind yet firm interactions and Ferrothorn will eventually crumble. Up until now it would have had no qualm with being alone, but as it comes to realise how nice having company it, it will eventually start craving the interactions. It's cruel to admit it, but this process is actually supposed to take a tough Pokémon and break it down into someone softer and loving. Do we really have the right to alter Pokémon's feelings to suit our own desires? I guess making Pokémon kinder is a good thing, but we're working against nature, something that upsets all of the legendary Pokémon watching over us.

This is coming completely out of the blue, but remember Ferrothorn likes to hang off of roofs or ceilings. If you find suspicious holes in the ceiling of your house, you'll need to have a little talk with Ferrothorn about limitations.

**Love: **Tentacruel and Tangela aren't native to Unova, so those with tentacle fetishes must resort to Pokechan, Poke34, Pokeaffinity, or Ferrothorn. Most of them are content to stick to their kinky websites, but some will go further and get some real action with Ferrothorn.

That's the only explanation I have on why you would want to be in a relationship with this Pokémon, instead of any other perfectly able Pokémon or human. If Ferrothorn tries to do something as simple as hug you, it might crush your spine, you know? Perhaps you're just into really, really weird Pokémon, or maybe you were dared. At any rate I suggest you stay away from Pokémon in the Mineral breeding group, they turn out to be bad choices.

Now that I think about it, Klink's family is coming up next, and later on Litwick's too. I have as much positive romantic advice about them as I do Ferrothorn. That is to say, jack all. You do know there are lots of lonely human lads and lassies out there, right?

**Battling: **It's now so much more competent in battle it's not funny. Or is it?

As I said before, those feelers act as powerful maces with extra-long range. Furthermore they can fire lethally sharp spikes at a rapid rate, just slower than a semi-automatic weapon. A mace crossed with a gun, what cool anatomy!

In the wild Ferrothorn does not go looking for fights. Instead it rests on the roof of its home cavern, patiently waiting for unsuspecting invaders to pass underneath so Ferrothorn can drop down and kill them instantly. It is perfectly silent and immobile until provoked, making them skilled assassins.

It doesn't live in a cave anymore, plus it now must aggressively attack other Pokémon rather than wait for the right moment. So Ferrothorn will have to adjust to new tactics quickly or it won't be able to pull its own weight in battle.

I guess it's rather late to mention this, but Ferrothorn is one of the slowest Pokémon in the world. It simply can't lug around its great weight fast enough. So Ferrothorn won't be able to help catch Pokémon that are fleeing battle, but it can really soak up damage like nothing else. Anyone who's played an MMO knows very well that there are different classes that come with different strengths. If Ferrothorn were an MMO character, he would be the really big, tough Dwarf that carries a mace. He's indestructible and his attacks always crit; but his swing time and recover time are depressing. And before you ask, no, I don't play MMOs. Bianca sometimes loiters around here after work and plays them on her laptop. She's always bragging about how many achievements she's got and how high levelled her armour is… And she always plays this interesting game where the whole world is made out of blocks and you have to punch trees to build houses and something about green creatures that explode…

I'm getting distracted. Back to the point, battles have to be taken to Ferrothorn rather than the other way around. If there's a big angry Pokémon lumbering towards you for battle, Ferrothorn will be the right one to take it down. But just as a warning, Ferrothorn is still extremely weak to Fire types, so you need to remove it the moment one steps onto the battlefield. In addition to taking extreme amounts of damage to Fire, Ferrothorn's thick armour prevents the burn wounds from being healed; meaning that a simple burn can grievously harm poor Ferrothorn.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **To quote the Personality segment, "How much Ferroseed cares about your other Pokémon depends on how patient and kind they were to it as a Ferroseed."

By default Ferrothorn couldn't care less about the rest of your Pokémon and will only tolerate their existence because you do. If they treated it cruelly or bullied it as a Ferroseed, it will take all out revenge on their sorry asses. But if they were kind and helpful while it was still in its vulnerable stage, then it will become very fond of them and wish to protect them from harm now that it is capable of fighting well. On observation Ferrothorn gets along very well with Audino and Leavanny.

And I hope you don't forget the on-going feud between Ferrothorn and the other Steel types. They're going to be angry and afraid of it, and Ferrothorn in turn will want to snack on them. In a case like this it's just better not to have them on the same team at all. So sorry, but Ferrothorn has no place on a Steel-type-only team.

**Warnings: **Remember how heavy Ferrothorn is. It often uses its feelers to investigate things, and I'd hate to know you had your face splattered by Ferrothorn because it prodded you out of curiosity. It's going to need a little education about physical limitations.

**Summary: **Ferrothorn, the cranky-grandpa-who-lives-on-the-house-on-the-hill- at-the-end-of-town-and-yells-at-kids Pokémon, is rather difficult to handle and can prove to be a lethal threat before and after being caught. But it's insanely tough and strong and few Pokémon can even scratch it in battle. It's the kind of Pokémon you use solely for battling rather than friendship, but friendship is a requirement to get it to battle for you. There's aren't any considerable drawbacks about owning one, so I can recommend catching one so long as you have the balls to try it.

**Next Time… Number 105 Klink!**

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**A/N: Oh, there were a few references in this chapter. It may be because I used to avidly play Minecraft until I couldn't find time to play it anymore, but I couldn't help but think of Minecraft while writing this chapter. With the ores and the digging and all. I'm a dwarf and I'm digging a hole~ diggy diggy hole~**

**Klink is up next which hopefully will be fun to write about, but I have a feeling Klank is going to be less than impressive. It's nothing more than a larger version of Klank, which makes it hard to come up with something interesting to write about. To put it bluntly, don't get excited about Klank's chapter. I **_**do **_**however have something super cool in store for Elgyem and Beheeyem's chapters so you can look forward to those in the future.**

**I'm thinking about uploading the guide to Furaffinity so people who would like to read it but don't come here will be introduced to it too. I'll be extended my boundaries and developing a wider audience, so to speak. But if I'm going to do that I'm going to have to fix up a few things first. **

**On a last note, I have to apologize but I'm going to have to drop most of the PMs I'm having with you guys. There are too many to respond to and I don't have enough time to even sit down and open them. I write the guide and come onto this site as a hobby after class and work, but it's reached the point where I only have enough time to either respond to messages or write the guide, and I know how many people are anticipating each chapter .So once again I'm sorry, but if you PM me don't expect a response until I find the time.**

**I'm too busy/tired/lazy to fully spellcheck this chapter, but screw it. I don't think anyone actually gives a shit about the occasional error. And if they do, they're being overly pedantic. At leest I dun spaek liek dees liek every1 esle one thiis site!**


	117. 105 Klink

**A/N: Even after finishing this chapter, it was underwhelming and pathetic. So I decided to rewrite it and mix things up a bit. In other words the next three chapters a bit of a skit. Being the spiteful author I am, I'm going to put Fuhri through the wringer and ruin the quality of his guide with these three messed up chapters. I wonder if his publisher will have a fit? These aren't normal chapters, because they focus as much on the antics of Fuhri and Juniper than the actual Pokémon. Please don't take them seriously, at all. Things will return to normal in Tynamo's chapter, I promise.**

* * *

Fuhri's Note: Feh, I really don't want to admit this, but I don't know very much about this species of Pokémon. Juniper on the other hand has led massive research investigations into Klink and knows more about this Pokémon than anyone else in the world. So… I uh… regrettably had to co-write this with her. Because I work with the Audtype this turned out to be an interview rather than a normal chapter. But to be honest, we invariably squabbled over a few topics during the recording, so I must admit that chapter is certainly less than professional. Ugh, it's such a mess… I'd go ahead and delete it and write the chapters by myself using the information she shared, but I don't want all those painstaking hours spent with her to be for nothing. So, just bear with this madness, okay? I've put her words with in speech marks just so you can tell who's speaking.

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**Number: **# 105

**Type: **Steel

**Species: **Gear

**Gender: **Genderless

**Japanese Name: **Giaru

**Human Friendship Level: **Medium

**Description: **Throughout this guide I've passed quite a few Pokémon off as weird or unusual, but Klink really is a profound exception-

"Yes it is! There isn't a single Pokémon quite like Klink-"

Hey! What did I say earlier? Don't talk unless I prompt you!

"Hey, I came here to talk didn't I?"

As I was saying, Klink is drastically different from any other Pokémon currently discovered on the planet. Sure there are Pokémon that resemble objects or even possess them like Rotom does, but Klink and it's family are the only Pokémon that are also automated machinery. Sure Voltorb and Electrode are sentient Pokeballs, and Magnemite is a ball or metal that decided to come alive. Bronzor too is a mirror that through some insane circumstance gained a mind. But those species are nothing more than that, objects that have come alive. Altercations to their bodies are minimal, and some professors controversially call them inferior species of Pokémon.

"How rude! No professor should ever label Pokémon in such a cruel way! Isn't it bad, Furryboy?"

Silence, you! And don't call me that! I thought I stomped that name out in high school!

"I remembered it the other day… I think it suits your animalistic temper well."

YOU!

* * *

...

* * *

"Well, that's the most likely solution. Mew's DNA and its subsequent mutations are what determine things like gender, but we haven't developed any evidence to prove that Klink descends from Mew. As of now it's classified as an anomaly Pokémon. Also, my tendency to remove inconsistencies is compelling me to point out that you made an error. Those three families aren't the only Pokémon registered as genderless, the legendaries are too."

Well, that's because _someone_ decided to classify them as genderless, even though we know they're gendered!

"Hey! It's not entirely my fault! Besides, some of them are debatable-"

Debatable? None of them are. Duke Emeraldton confirmed Victini as male when he cared for the little bugger back in 1428. Do you need to borrow my copy of "History of the 14th Century - A Collection of Real Life Accounts"?

"No, you made me read it twice last year. That's how I found out about Gabriel Kouhra's little chastity belt fetish…"

Also, Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem were all documented as male by King Liath multiple times during his reign, _plus _they refer to each other as brothers. Plus Reshiram does a bad job of censoring his own crotch. Plus Meloetta-

"Look, this is moving away from the topic-"

informed Lady Cantáte during her stay at the Hervist Castle that she was a woman and has been referred to as one for the 2,000 years! Sir Aaron of Cameran Castle even wrote the song "My Sweet Lady Meloetta" for her.

"Oh my Arceus, only a couple of paragraphs in and we're already argui-"

And finally, Cobalion, Virizion, Terrakion and Keldeo all confirmed themselves as male multiple times during the Iccirus Wars. They call themselves the Sacredswords_**men**_ after all. Plus if you payed attention back in history class you would remember how Professor Baobab told us that soldiers of the Eastern division saw Virizon's genitals on the battlefield multiple times!

"I didn't _want _to remember that! Who would want to know something like that?"

So, where's your debatable argument, huh?

"I don't have one! Look, I know that the legends have genders, but not everyone will accept that. Originally I was going to classify them as gendered in the Pokédex, but a bunch of idiots held a protest outside the lab. They went on and on about who was male or female, but they couldn't agree on anything. Eventually they all came to the conclusion that they should be classified as genderless so everyone could have their own interpretation. After that, I didn't have a say in the decision anymore."

Oh, that's right! I remember seeing that protest on the news. I saw someone spray-paint "Reshie = " on your car! That was really funny!

"Ugh. That was a nightmare. Me and daddy couldn't leave the lab for days, and all the excited new trainers couldn't pick up their starters for a week either. Pink spray-paint doesn't come of car windows easily either."

I know it doesn't. Some brat spray-painted on the lab door the other day and it took me _and_ Joey three hours to clean up.

"Um, do you always rabble away in your guide like this? We went from Klink, to gender issues, to brats with spray-paint. I somehow feel that having an argument like this in the middle of the guide is extremely unprofessional. How does any of this even relate to Klink?"

Oh, it's okay. I turned the Audtype off when you tried to rudely correct me in my own lab.

"Um, no you didn't. The little red light is flashing at me."

OH SHIT! I THOUGHT I TURNED THE AUDTYPE OFF!

"Uh, no. You fiddled with the collar before pointing angrily at me."

Shit, this is really bad. This chapter is ruined! Ruined!

"Can't you just edit all this out?"

No… This Audtype is a prototype, they haven't released a beta version with that kind of function. Um, um, look, I'll just stop the Audtype here and we can continue later, let's just hope no one bothers to read that stupid argument.

"I think your fans would find it funny if they did read i-"

* * *

_..._

* * *

_(So, let's try and go at least one paragraph without arguing, okay?)_

_("I will if you can refrain from exploding at me!")_

It can't be denied that Klink is literally two gears that work together to survive, but there's a few differences between Klink and the other object-based Pokémon. The first and foremost being that Klink is actually multiple Pokémon working together to survive. I'll let you have a turn at explaining, Juniper. (_Don't screw it up!_)

"Ah, yes, as Professor Fuhri was saying, Klink are actually two individual Pokémon that have no choice but to live together. Thanks to that previous drama-"

Don't bring that back up!

"You are now aware that Klink is a genderless species. Due to this Klink and it's family cannot breed naturally, and most alive specimen appeared all at the same time 100 years ago, as I'll explain later on. The only way Klink and Co are granted the ability to procreate is when they are trapped in a daycare centre with a Ditto. I think daddy would agree that you could label Klink born from Ditto as unnatural. I find it a little weird that the Klink family can actually breed, even though they don't naturally do so. Perhaps only Ditto can bear a Klinklang's eggs without something bad happen?"

I wouldn't be surprised. Just look at the thing! Who the heck would be able to handle a living cluster of gears churning away in their womb?

"The interesting part is, Klink aren't born the way you see them as they currently are. When first born they are individuals called 'minigears'. This is why Klink are referred to with plural nouns These minigears are born into huge litters that are _always _an even number. Shortly after being born the minigears will search for their interlocking companion; that is, the sibling that they are supposed to mesh with. Each partner is predetermined before the eggs hatch, and each minigear instinctually knows who is its permanent companion. Once they have found each other they interlock their teeth and stay that way for their entire life in that form. Now that they have interlocked, they cannot break up and join with other minigears."

Ah, Klink is actually a plural pronoun isn't it? You can't call an individual minigear a Klink, yet you can call a Klink minigears. It's too much for me to even bother thinking about. Anyway, let's move onto the next topic. Like another mysterious species I'll be covering later on, Klink appeared out of nowhere in modern times. I've never bothered to look into this particular species' history, but Juniper can enlighten us all if she can put that clunky brain of hers to work.

"Okay! I was looking forward to this part!"

_(Try not to rabble on. Keep it short and simple, I don't want my readers to get bored!)_

"Whatever Furryb- Professor Fuhri. Anyway, this is where my expertise on the subject comes out. Unfortunately I'm going to deliver it in a summary rather than a full explanation thanks to Fuhri's demands."

"So as you may know already, Klink appeared in Chargestone Cave around 100 years ago, right out of the blue. Two geologists were doing surveys to check the integrity of the caves' internal structure, when they came across the first Klink. At first they dismissed it off as some kid's prank, but when they came across more of the Steel types roaming the caverns, they became convinced that grudge-bearing ghosts had possessed gears for some stupid reason and thus both geologists fled the cave in fear."

"Later on news spread of the 'haunted' cave, which like every other 'haunted' location attracted sceptical scientists, who were part of a newly formed sector of the government that would later become the Department of Research and Investigation. That's us, Fuhri!"

Whoop-dee-doo.

"After these scientists found Klink, the first reports of the species came flooding in. As with all the discoveries of new species there was a massive hype over Klink, but once it had settled down people forgot about it and research about it dried up. It wasn't until I realised and started to look into it myself that we discovered more information. It sort of pisses me off that scientists would lose interest in a brand new species just like that."

Well, it is a rather boring Pokémon. I personally find it forgettable.

"There's no such thing! Klink is a really amazing Pokémon, and that's why I'm researching so much about them, so everyone can realise too!"

I don't think anyone really gives a crap about Klink… I feel like everyone's just going to skip this chapter and move onto a cooler Pokémon like Chandelure or Haxorus…

"Oh dear, We're getting side-tracked again. Better refocus… I think the most interesting part about Klink's appearance is that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to prove it existed on Earth before its discovery, plus there was no indication before or after their appearance to draw attention. For example, when Beheeyem, Lunatone, Solrock andClefairy showed up for the first time, massive meteor showers lit up the skies for many weeks prior. But Klink just… appeared."

It was the same when I first met you, Juniper. I was happily playing in the sandbox with my Tonku Truck when you showed up out of nowhere, like a demonic entity to harvest my soul. No wonder I soiled myself.

"Well, daddy just kinda threw me into the sandbox and walked off, so I guess it would have been surprising from your point of view. Coming back to Klink, a few years back we did an autopsy; well, we actually smelted them into molten metal-"

YOU WHAT?!

"which I don't think qualifies as an autopsy, but anyway, after filtering the various materials that make up its composition we discovered that it was made out of refined steel, without the slightest imperfection. Normally it would take a huge amount of refining to make that metal as pure as it is, so a major question we haven't yet answered is how on Earth Klink manage to come into existence in such a pure state. No materials foreign to Earth were discovered, which makes the theory of Klink being an extra-terrestrial highly unlikely."

Ahh, that's certainly gonna piss a few people off. All that alien speculation jibber-jabber is quite popular in Unova isn't it? Although to be honest I've been rather blunt and opinionated throughout this whole guide; so it doesn't really matter if I piss off even more people than I'm invariably gonna anger anyway.

"You shouldn't be trying to piss of your fans… Something like that is going to make you really unpopular you know. Why would anyone buy your guide if they knew you were trying to make them mad?"

Well, I'm not _trying _to piss people off. I just like stating my opinion, and I tell the truth bluntly even if it's going to upset people. It's not my fault people overreact and write rants when they read about things they don't agree with. And in my opinion, Klink is a shitty Pokémon~

"HEY!"

**Personality: **I don't know the slightest thing about how this Pokémon thinks, so I'm going to go feed Fletching. I'm leaving it up to you, Juniper~ Here, I'll take the Audtype off and leave it on the table.

"Oh, um, okay. Well, as you'd expect from such a Pokémon Klink have very robotic and algorithmic minds; they process thoughts the same way a computer would defrag itself. In fact, this entire subsection is rather redundant, as it could be said that Klink have no personality whatsoever."

_Fletchliiiing~_

_Shut up and eat the food!_

"For every self-aware creature, the mind is a balance of logic and emotion. However depending on the species and specific individual in question, this balance could be any ratio. Most species and humans have a very well balanced mind, some species have very emotional minds, and some have very logical minds. Because of the way the mind is designed, very few Pokémon can be both highly emotional and highly intelligent at the same time. I don't think Furryboy-"

_I heard that!_

"mentioned it in its prior chapter, but Reuniclus is one of the amazing Pokémon that has the mental capacity for this. That's why they seem so damned creepy; we're not used to seeing someone capable of controlling both sides of their brain so well. Nearly every other Pokémon must deal with a distribution of either factor. Some people and Pokémon will be creative and compassionate, but as a result are unable to think as logically. On the other hand some people are more skilled at thinking and reasoning, but at the cost of being indifferent."

"Coming back to what I said earlier, the vast majority of humanity has a very well balanced medium and irregularities are rare. Anyone who is too emotional is dismissed as a psychopath and anyone too callous is dismissed as a sociopath. Klink's mentality is on the absolute extreme of the logical side and in return they do not have any emotions and fail to understand the concept of emotions. Each and every thought they make is calculating and analytic, and every action they make is premeditated and has a clearly defined intention. They are the ultimate extremity of sociopathy."

_Fleeetch~_

_Back in the cage, you!_

"There is one stark difference between Klink and the average sociopath however. Most sociopaths understand emotions very well and are able to simulate them perfectly, even though they are unable to feel them like most people do. They are able to integrate into society perfectly and act like a normal person without anyone thinking otherwise."

"Klink on the other hand are unable to emulate emotions and thus they stick out blaringly in social situations. They don't make any friends, and for the most part people are scared of them. In the confines of Chargestone Cave, you'll find that all the other denizens scuttle away in fear of Klink, simply because they are intimidated by its lack of compassion."

"Because it thinks with only logical conclusions in mind, Klink has no regard for the safety or lives of others. If massacring an entire city full of people would benefit Klink, then it would have no problem allowing it to happen. If abandoning its allies and condemning them to certain death is advantageous to Klink, it will leave them immediately. This heartless attitude is what makes Klink a very unpopular and hated species, by both humans and other Pokémon."

"In addition to that, Klink are very minimalistic. Even savage, brutal Pokémon like to have their homes arranged in a fashion that makes them comfortable. Even though it might be nothing more than shifting a few rocks around so the sun can light up the area more at dawn, or placing some flowers nearby to brighten it up; everyone does it, even if it's meaningless, even legendaries do it! That is what it means to have a personality."

Fuhri is a real fanboy of legendary Pokémon and he does a lot of research into them; I guess that's why he burst into a rant like that when I challenged his knowledge on them earlier. He was chattering away the other day about how Virizion likes to build little grottos filled with human items, and spends a great deal of time arranging things to suit his articulate tastes. Fuhri kept talking and talking… Normally he's such a calm person, but the moment he had the opportunity to talk like that, he was acting like the little boy I used to know him as… What a cutie…"

_Hey! Are you talking about me over there? Cut it out!_

"Oh! Um, but Klink has absolutely no interest in doing anything that is not necessary to survival. In fact, since they don't need to eat and have no interest in social interaction, you could lock Klink away in a tiny grey room for hundreds of years and it would be content to just sit there. I myself find that lack of personality to be utterly terrifying, but it can't be helped. I still don't even know why two pieces of solid steel can even have sentiment mind."

I'm back, Juniper. You didn't do something horrible to my guide, did you? I'll sue you for lawful damage to property!

"Of course not! I just finished saying all you wanted me to share with Klink. I find it amusing that the moment you leave, the guide stops being a shambling mess of arguments. Anyway I guess I'm done talking now. What do we do when we finish a subsection?"

Well, normally turn off the Audtype, have a coffee, and then return to continue. But I'm hungry right now, so let's go get something to eat and come back for Lifespan, okay?

"Hey! You didn't even ask if I was hungry!"

Are you hungry?

"… Yeah. I am."

**Lifespan: **"Because Klink lacks any sort of organs or cells and is literally composed of nothing more than pure steel, it is near impervious to damage and it takes thousands of years for its body to even begin to show signs of wear. As with a few other species Klink holds a record for being a species with no recorded natural deaths. With the statistics I've been composing over the last few years, a Klink can last up to a hundred thousand years before falling apart completely. If taken care of, a Klink could possibly last indefinitely."

Ugh, how creepy. I hope they all rust soon.

"Furry! That's a terrible thing to say!"

**Diet: **Oooh, here's something I do know about Klink, they don't need to eat at all! Subsection complete! See? I don't _really _need your help.

"Actually, that's a little bit inaccurate. It's true that Klink don't need to physically eat anything to survive, but they still need the energy that you would gain from eating."

Oh? Well why don't you explain then, otherwise your brain will explode from all the useless knowledge crammed into it.

"Humph! This is not useless information!"

Pretty sure it is.

"… Anyway, Klink produces the energy required to survive by rotating and letting their interlocking teeth grind against each other. This friction produces energy that the Klink sap, keeping them sustained. This is why it is absolutely vital that the minigears must stick in a pair; one minigear cannot produce any energy and thus will die. Being the logical creatures they are, Klink are well aware of this necessity and thus will do anything to ensure they do not become separated."

Well earlier you said they don't have organs or cells. Cells and organs are wheat need energy to function and by extension keep the Pokémon alive. Since they don't have any of that why do they need the energy?

"Ah, that's a really good point. You see, Klink has another unique trait. Whereas most Pokémon require food to keep their bodies running, Klink needs to food to keep its mind running."

Eh?

"As I said earlier, Klink's mind runs like a computer. Computers need energy to run. While a computer is turned on it's a highly complex item running hundreds of processes and calculations simultaneously and in some cases they can have AI that reaches near human intellect. But no matter how complex and seemingly alive a computer is, once it's turned off it's nothing more than a scrap of metal. Klink is exactly the same as that, once it 'dies' it becomes nothing more than a pair of gears."

So… are you saying that Klink is nothing more than an AI? And I guess it can be resurrected it you can put the minigears back together, huh.

"That's not true. Each and every minigear has a unique mind and processes thoughts in a unique manner. Furthermore they have attributions that every other Pokémon has; such as typing, abilities, and the capacity to breed. A simple AI wouldn't be able to simulate all that. Plus, once a Klink has run out of energy and died, it cannot be brought back to life. Even if you made them spin like they normally would, they would be nothing more than inanimate gears."

Oh, I get it. Like if you murder someone and then use electric pulses to control their muscles. They're still nothing more than a lifeless puppet.

"That's a really creepy way of putting it."

**How To Bond: **Ah, I'm grateful I have someone else to talk this time around. This subsection is always so boring and cliché. Nearly every time it's something along the lines of 'be nice to your Pokémon and they'll be nice back!' with a few extra details thrown in. It usually works just fine, but it's getting boring.

"Well unfortunately for you it's going to stay boring."

Dammit!

"Since Klink are sociopaths-"

What? They are?!

"Geez! I can't even say one sentence without you interjecting!"

You say so many crazy things it's kinda hard not to respond.

"Ugh, whatever. If I respond we'll end up causing another argument that will impede the chapter again, so I'll ignore that. Where was I? Oh. Since Klink are sociopaths who lack emotion, they lack the ability to become emotionally attached or feel affection or loyalty to their trainer. In that regard it's impossible to bond with a Klink, because its mind cannot comprehend such a concept."

Ugh. I was I could have left all of the creepy Pokémon out of this guide…

"However, all is not lost. While it has no compassion for you, if you catch a Klink it will follow and battle for you just like any other species would. This isn't out of gratitude or a sense of respect, but simply because Klink has realised that you are must stronger than and there's a high chance that you are going to kill it. It simply does as you say because it believes that it will die otherwise."

So, in other words Klink has been forced into the position of a slave?

"That sounds about right. Although Klink doesn't really mind being treated that way, so it's not cruelty or anything like that."

**Love: **lol, I always love this part of the chapter. Usually it's so ridiculous I have to try really hard not to laugh. It also gives me the opportunity to reference all sorts of sex-related memes. Last chapter I talked about tentacle sex with Ferrothorn!

"Ugh, how depraved. I personally would never enter such a relationship with a Pokémon, but I guess I can see how some species are appealing… But Klink, really? Say, weren't you caught doing Poképhilia after leaving high school? Something about a Mienfoo?"

SH-SHUT UP! DON'T BRING UP THAT KINDA STUFF!

"Hey! No need to yell! I'm sorry…"

… It's all over the internet anyway, so I guess it doesn't change anything…

"I'm sorry, I really am. Look, let's just ignore that, okay? Um… Back to the Love section… As you know well enough Klink can't fall in love, so romance is out of the question. Considering it's physiology sex is even further out of the question."

Oh god, imagine your dick getting caught between those teeth.

"I don't really want to imagine that, thank you."

**Battling: **"Despite being a fan of this species and having a disinterest in Pokémon battling; I have to admit that Klink isn't useful for battling. Despite being a reliable Steel type it has a handful of shortcomings and weak stats, ensuring that it can't keep up with any other competitors. Even though it will obediently fight for you, it will not fare well and may even end up losing you the battle. If you really are going to throw it out there, Charge Beam would be a risky long term investment that could make a useful weapon if Klink can survive long enough to utilize it. Other than that, Bind and Gear Grind are the only moves left in your minor arsenal."

Ah, so it really is useless.

"Well, competitively it is."

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Okay, so far I figured this much out. Klink is emotionless and has no regard for the lives of anyone else other than their own, right? So I'm guessing Klink has little to say about teammates.

"That's right. Instead of viewing them as people, Klink view fellow Pokémon as variables, which can harm or help. After observing how they behave and what kind of temperament they have, Klink can readily discern what kind of person they are and what threats they might pose. If you put something like a Heatmor or a Hydreigon in the team, Klink would spazz out in a panic. They won't do anything disorderly because they don't want to displease you, but they certainly will make their trepidation clear."

Hmm, I guess on the other side of things all the other Pokémon are going to be creeped about by these heartless metal weirdos, right?

"Yes, that's the usual reaction. A lot of species find Klink's inability to feel emotions and its evident apathy to be very unsettling and frightening, and as a result they aren't very popular in the wild either. It would be like putting a robot on a baseball team. It does everything the same way as everyone else does and may even be physically mistakable for a human, but its lack of humanity and emotion still make people worry. There's just something about artificial intelligence that scares both humans and Pokémon; although Pokémon are even more disturbed by it than we are."

**Warnings: **Try not to stick your hand, or anything else, in-between those teeth. They're strong enough to slice it clean off. Hey, that would make a good Mewtube dare!

**Summary: **Klink is a terrible Pokémon, and I think Juniper would agree-

"I disagree."

They serve little purpose in a battle, are boring and cannot be interacted with, and are incapable of sharing compassion with anybody, let alone their trainer. They may be extremely low maintenance, but a rock is exactly the same. You might as well go catch a rock in a Pokeball, as it would be as useful as Klink would be.

"Okay, I withdraw my previous statement. In a human environment or under human care they serve almost no purpose. But in the wild they can integrate into the cave niche quite well. I like this species, but I wouldn't recommend it as a pet."

**Next Time… Number 106 Klang!**

* * *

Fuhri's Note: Sweet Arceus, this chapter is a mess. I thought inviting Juniper over would make the chapter much easier and fill in all of the gaping blanks I knew about Klink, but it turned into a nightmare. I'm still happy I had the opportunity to spam her with facts about Unova's legendaries; I wish you could have seen her face!

"What are you doing? Didn't we just finish? Are you starting Klang's chapter without me?!"

Uh, no. I'm doing the Fuhri's Note. It lets me talk about off-topic stuff that I can't include in the actual chapter.

"Well, you were off topic for most of this chapter anyway. But this sounds like fun. Can I have a Juniper's Note?"

No. No you cannot.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter escalated quickly. The whole including Juniper thing was to make an otherwise shitty chapter into something readable, but it went so far it's nearly unreadable. Is something like this even acceptable? The whole thing is pretty butchered, but I think some people might find it entertaining. Either way a rant storm is likely, so I'm getting my anti-rant umbrella and holding onto it in trepidation for a while. But as a sidenote, Klang's chapter is probably going to be even worse. Prepare yourselves. Perhaps it's time Fuhri's gets his Audtype updated so he can edit unrelated crap out.**


	118. 106 Klang

**Number: **# 106

**Type: **Steel

**Species: **Gear

**Gender: **Genderless

**Japanese Name: **Gigiaru

**Human Friendship Level: **Medium

**Description: **(_Shhh. I just pressed the start button. I don't want this chapter starting in chaos like the last one.)_

_("It already is, isn't it?")_

Ahem. Evolution, as I've said many times before, is perhaps the most valuable and amazing moment in a Pokémon's life. The only events that could compete with it in terms of fond nostalgia later on would be marriage/finding a mate, or doing something such as challenging the Elite Four.

But this pivotal point in life isn't special for just the Pokémon; it also has a massive effect on the trainer who owns the Pokémon; for better or for worse. Say a young trainer caches a Sandile, simply because it's so amazingly adorable. What happens when that Sandile evolves into an aggressive, not-so-cute Krokorok? Or what if someone catches a Litwick resting assured they can manage it, but then it evolves into an out-of-control psychopathic Lampent? Or perhaps someone catches a Zorua thinking nothing of it; but falls deeply in love with it the moment it evolves into a handsomely built Zoroark?

Yes, evolution can make, break or completely alter the way a trainer sees and feels about their Pokémon. Everyone knows how much of a profound… physical interest Drayden took in his Haxorus once it had evolved from a Fraxure, heheh…

"H-Hey! Is it really okay to mock celebrities like that?! Drayden would blow his lid if he knew you revealed his pokephi- um, his little secret!"

Oh, it's fine. I blew that fish out of the water several chapters ago. Plus I've ridiculed every gym leader or so to some degree, so this won't stick out.

"Oh dear Arceus, I'm going to worry for your safety when this gets published…"

Meh, they'll never find my house. Anyway, after that little speech I just gave about evolution, you must all be wondering what kind of amazing Pokémon Klang is, and how vastly different it's going to be from Klink. Unfortunately, you're all going to be disappointed.

"Ah, yes, I guess that would be a little true for anyone anticipating this evolution. After the process of evolution a Pokémon's physical appearance is starkly different from before, meaning trainers often struggle to recognize the old Pokémon in its new form."

But Klang… All Klang did was let one of its minigears get a little bigger. And that's it, right Juniper? Or is there some mysterious secret about Klang you're about to reveal to us all?

"Nope, you hit it on the nail. One of the two minigears grew a little bigger, and that's it. Not a single other change apart from that. If I were a kid who was witnessing my Klink evolve, I think I'd be a little depressed after seeing how pointless the whole process was."

Dammit, what're we supposed to talk about then? The Description is supposed to be the flagship of the chapter, and so far we have nothing. This chapter is empty and barren already!

"Well, that's not true. Even if it's a minor and uninteresting change, we could talk about that new minigear."

I suppose… But I know nothing about it, so I'm going to make a coffee and leave it up to you~

"Ugh. Fine then. In order to develop a large body after evolution, a Pokémon must eat to store the energy required, alongside other requirements. Instead of eating Klink uses the energy stored from rotating around each other to construct its extra addition. Yes, that's right. If you're familiar with E=MC2, then you'll understand that Klang has managed to convert energy into mass. Isn't that absolutely amazing?"

_Hey you over there, wanna coffee too?_

"Sure! No milk please!"

_How many sugars?_

"Two please! Um, where was I? Oh yeah, so Klang does something amazing by changing energy into matter to form a larger body. My total knowledge of physics equals zero, so I can't explain it any further than that. _I wonder if any hardcore physicists are gonna write detailed letters to Fuhri or me after this guide is published… _But even I know that the amount of energy required to create something that size is truly momentous; perhaps to even an illogical degree."

_Ahh… The jug boiling is really noisy. Maybe I need to buy a new one?_

"Since Klang and its relatives are so uninteresting not many have bothered to look into it, but a few months back there was a report in the Unova Science magazine which tried to explain the phenomenon as best as it could. Apparently Klink multiplies the energy stored within its body at an exponential rate, providing it with the ludicrous amount needed to build its new form. The report was never completed however, as whatever method Klink uses to carry this seems to defy the laws of relativity, and the physicist trying to figure it out had a mental breakdown in frustration. I guess if you want to make a physicist suicidal, give him a Klink."

Wow, that took a dark turn at the end, didn't it. Here's your coffee.

"Thank yo- Hey! There's milk in this! I said I didn't want any!"

Heheh… The villainous Fuhri strikes again.

"What a pitiful villain you would make."

Crap, we're derailing the chapter again… So Juniper, what effects does this larger addition to Klang have?

"Very little. The two minigears still rely on each other to survive and it still has as many restrictions as before. However, the added part allows Klang to produce much more energy than before, making its attacks more effective. You could call it a battery perhaps."

Oh? That's not really interesting.

"Here's something interesting. While the two minigears struggled to be capable of separating from each other, they can now do so at will. Even so, they cannot join into other Klink, Klang, or Klinklang and will quickly die without re-joining again."

That's not very-

"However! The larger minigear can now fire the smaller one like a boomerang. Once launched the smaller minigear will follow a parabolic path; re-joining to its counterpart once it returns back. Klang's calculating minds allows it to determine the trajectory path and the angle it should fire at, meaning it can always ensure that the smaller minigear will return safely. It _can _fire the minigear away without calculating a proper flight path, but that would mean that the minigear will not safely return and possibly before lost, endangering both of their lives. Due to that Klang will never risk firing its smaller half without thinking about it prior."

I guess that's cool to a really, really tiny degree, but what's the point of it doing that?

"Well, any point you can think of. It can be used as a weapon for long range combat; or even for surveillance. As the minigear soars around it takes in everything it sees and then reports back to the larger minigear on its arrival. From there on they plan their next move. In theory it could be launched in an arc that covers an entire town, allowing Klang to gather information about several hundred different people simultaneously. If Klang were to be used as spies during a war… dear Arceus."

Wow, my opinion of Klang improved. Just a little.

**Personality: **So, what changes have occurred to Klang's personality after evolution?

"None."

Huh?

None."

None all?! None in the slightest?!

"None at all. Klang's personality remains completely unchanged from before. Not all Pokémon change after evolution, you know?"

What the hell! What am I supposed to put here then? This chapter was shitty enough from the start!

"Look, neither of us can help the fact that Klang remains unchanged. I'm sure your readers will understand. How can they expect us to provide something that doesn't exist?"

Geez, you've obviously never had to deal with a fanbase before… Even if you try your absolute best and burn all your resources in the process, so long as it doesn't meet their demand or expectations they'll throw a tantrum about it and refuse to accept it for what it is. That's the selfish relationship between producer and consumer.

"Oh gosh, when I designed and published the Pokédex I had very little trouble with the editors and the public. Besides that whole legendary gender protest and some blasphemous meddling on behalf of the editors, it all went fine! If people moaned any more about it, I'd tell them all to piss off!"

And then you'd lose your fans, no one would buy the Pokédex, and you'd lose all the money and effort you put into developing and producing it. If you want people to buy your crap, you have to buckle to their demands more often than not.

"How awful. This is a little depressing… I'm feeling a little hungry, so I'm going to look through your fridge~"

Hey! Come back! You can't do that!

"_Hey! Can I heat up this pizza?"_

No!

"_Why not?"_

It's my pizza! And it's the last slice!

"_Aww, come on Furry. You've had the rest of it, so I'm heating it up~"_

_(Tch. Bossy bitch.) _Hmm… Speaking of the Pokédex, I had a look at Klang's entries earlier. Allow me to quote one: 'By changing the direction in which it rotates, it communicates its feelings to others. When angry, it rotates faster.' But last chapter you spammed a whole speech about how Klink was an emotionless sociopath, and now you're saying it hasn't changed at all. What's up with this Pokédex entry then?

"_Ugh, I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up. I mentioned how the editors did some blasphemous meddling, didn't I? If they weren't pleased with whatever I had to say about a species, they'd change it to suit them, even if the changes they made didn't make sense. They didn't like what I had to say about Klang, so they changed it, the bastards."_

Wow, you really nuked that pizza, huh? The cheese is bubbling… Hey, you'll burn your tongue if you eat it right now!

"Om nom~ I heard Professor Elm had some trouble with his editors too. That's how all that rubbish folklore got into Entei's Pokédex entries. It was proven a long time ago that the whole 'being born in a volcano and making clones of himself by roaring and creating more volcanoes' trash was simple fairy tales. Why they'd put something idiotic like that in the Pokédex I'd have no idea…

People prefer to be told endearing lies rather than the cold truth. Even if they're told the truth they'll try to patch it up with lies so they don't have to accept what they don't want to accept. Humans are cowardly and delusional like that, no wonder wild Pokémon look down on us so much…

"Oh, that actually gives me something to talk about. It's true that Klang rotates and changes direction to communicate. But my statement that they are completely emotionless still remains true. Rather than express the emotions that they actually don't have, Klang rotate in specific patterns to communicate thoughts and ideas to their fellow specimen, alongside anyone else who can understand their method of speech."

Huh? Isn't that the same?

"Not at all. When Klang rotate like that, it's like they're speaking in Morse code. Rather than lines and dashes, the speed and direction of Klang's rotation forms whatever Klang is trying to say. Even though they don't communicate emotions, they can still say things such as 'enemy approaching this way' or 'human cluster moving north of here, intention to gather food'. Like I said, the smaller minigear acts as a scout when fired. Once it returns it relays information to the larger one as quickly as it can."

So they speak like robots huh, that's a little disconcerting.

"Relatively so. They omit any words that are unnecessary and put the entire focus of the conversation to providing and transferring information. Since they have nothing emotional or philosophical to talk about, information is the only thing they're interested in. The faster they rotate while communicating, the more urgent their message. If a lethal enemy is rapidly approaching, Klang will spin itself like a madman. If there's a whole mob of Klang and Klink, the strongest one will gather all the information relayed from all the other Klang and make a decision regarding the movements of the whole group. I find it interesting that even though they act like a hivemind, they rely on the commands of a leader to function efficiently."

Well, a computer can act like a hivemind of varying programs and executions, but it still needs someone to give it direction. When computers no longer need to take orders from us, that's when they'll take over.

"Please don't turn this into a doomsday prophecy. Besides, if computers take over I'll be hiding in my closet with a tinfoil hat."

Hey look, we actually had something to say!

**Lifespan: **So long as they keep on spinning, they keep on living, right?

"That's right. Once again its solid steel body can resist the passage of time and carry on thousands of years into the future unhindered. Like all steel does, Klang's body will eventually erode away until there's nothing left of it, but it's constant active rotating stops rust from getting a foothold easily."

I kinda wish they died before we did. I don't like the idea of being outlived by this soulless monster.

"I'm sure all the Bug type Pokémon don't like being outlived by us either."

**Diet: **"Just like it did before; Klang relies on the energy produced between the two minigears in order to survive. If they get separated by any means and fail to return to each other, then both of them will die and turn into inanimate gears. The extra addition to its body functions as a storage unit, which allows the larger minigear to survive for a longer period of time if the other minigear is lost."

This is really boring, especially when nothing changes like this… I want to skip straight to Elgyem… Here, look at all these cool facts I found out about them!

"So as Fuhri would advise you, Klang doesn't need to be feed. As it's trainer it's your responsibility to make sure that Klang doesn't lose its smaller minigear, so pay attention to it during battle."

Are you even listening to me?

"No. I'm trying to progress through this chapter. I just remembered I forgot to feed Cinccino before coming here, the poor little fella's probably starving!"

Oh Arceus, that monster is better off starving!

"Hey! Don't say that about my Pokémon!"

Well, you know exactly why I don't like it.

"It's not my faul…"

_SHHRORRP_

"Oops…"

HEY! What the hell did do you that for!

"Oh come on, like I really would spill pizza all over your keyboard on purpose. I'll clean it up…"

Hurry the hell up! It's ruining my keyboard! Grab that towel over there!

"Oh look, the cheese is melting between the keys! How interesting… If I try pressing a key like this, the cheese gluing them together causes all the nearby keys to be pressed too…"

Stop pressing the keys! You're making it worse! If my keyboard is screwed, you owe me 10000-

* * *

.

* * *

**How To Bond: "**Once again there are almost no changes to Klang after evolution, so you can treat it just the same as you did as a Klink. This reaches the point where owners of Klang often forget that their Klink evolved into a Klang in the first place. I would go ahead and call that shameful neglect in part of the trainer, but when there's seemingly no apparent change the human mind tends to assume there _was_ no change in the first place."

Or maybe Klang just really, really sucks.

"Hey! A Pokémon professor shouldn't say such things! Especially when their devoted field of research is Pokémon and human relationships! You told me that was the reason behind writing this guide, you know?"

You're only half true. It's true that I specialise in Pokémon and Human relationships, but I also specialise in Pokémon personalities and behaviourisms. By writing this guide, I can educate the general public on how Pokémon's hearts and minds work, and how they can get along with them. That is my ambition for this guide.

"Oh, you were always like that, weren't you? I remember back in high school you would always lose your cool whenever someone made an uninformed and incorrect statement about a Pokémon. Heh, it really contrasted against your 'silent, indifferent bad boy' persona, ahaha."

Can we please not bring my personal life into this? If there's nothing to say about Klang now, then I think we should just end this here.

"No, wait. It's true that caught Klang have no change at all, because their minds have already been wired to obediently obey their master without thinking otherwise. You see, their minds are like toast."

Toast? What kind of analogy is that?!"

"No,no,no, I guess chemical reactions make more sense. You see, burning toast causes a chemical reaction, and like all chemical reactions cannot be reversed, right? A burst piece of toast can never be a plushy piece of white bread ever again."

Uhh… yeah…

"Well, it's almost like Klang's mind has undergone a chemical reaction through evolution, although there's just one stark difference. However Klang thought and acted before it evolved, it will now stay that way forever. Just like a chemical reaction it can't be reversed."

Oh? I think I wrote about a Pokémon like that earlier I think…

"The only difference is that unlike a chemical reaction, which permanently changes something into a different form, Klang becomes permanently stuck in its current form."

That's something totally different.

"The result is the same! In other words, however the trainer raised Klink to think and behave will be how Klang will always think and behave. That's why it's important for a trainer to ensure that their Klink is completely loyal and obedient before they let it evolve. Um… We _did _warn the readers to take that extra precaution last chapter, right?"

I think so… It doesn't really matter. If they read Klink's chapter, they'll probably read this one too.

"What if they decide to evolve Klink before moving onto this chapter?"

Then that's their fault for being so reckless. Who the heck wouldn't study about a Pokémon before capturing it?

"Most kids these days… They see a cool looking Pokémon, so they catch it without thinking of these consequences. It's lead to quite a few deaths, even with my numerous warnings. It makes me feel so terrible…"

Hey now, cheer up. Every Pokémon trainer accepts responsibility for whatever happens to them on their journey, and they have to acknowledge the fact that their journey may result in their death. You're the one who makes them sign the form, so you should know better than anyone else!

"That doesn't make me feel any better…"

**Love: **There's normally two ways I go around doing this segment. If it's a blatantly unattractive Pokémon I spend the whole time mocking the idea of being with such a Pokémon, but if it's an actually attractive Pokémon-

"Ahahaha, Like your little boyfriend Mienfoo?"

Y-YOU! Why-How-If you ever-Um…. Yeah. Like Mienfoo…

"When that happens, you actually try to help the reader develop and maintain a romantic relationship with their Pokémon, right?"

Not entirely. I'm not that good with romance-

"No way! I would have never guessed!"

Shut up! Er, anyway, I give advice on what that species finds romantic and what kind of demands, expectations and the like they would expect. This subsection is more of a suggestion rather than a full-out guide. But since you're acting so high and mighty, why don't you write this one?

"Well, there's nothing to say really. We've already covered the fact that they're completely emotionless AI without any understanding of the concept of love… Any affection the trainer has towards Klang will never be returned, no matter how much they want to think otherwise. I think the readers should be able to take it from there. If they're dumb enough to ignore my advice make an advance on Klang anyway, it's out of my hands."

If they're dumb enough to do that, then I'm certain they're too dumb to read. In that case, it's perfectly fine.

**Battling: **"Klang are disturbingly competent at battle. Not only does their mind rapidly process data and develop tactics in the blink of an eye, their smaller minigear acts as a relay, allowing them to gather information on the enemy and the environment that no-one else could possibly know. They might be slow, lumbering pieces of metal, but they're smart enough to be able to maximise the effectiveness of their defence."

"It's too slow to pursue enemies, so Klang can only be of use when the enemy-"

I call them foes.

"When the foes are attacking you intentionally. However they can make good trackers, so if you're chasing a Pokémon over a long distance it can send you in the right direction. Be aware that Klang puts its life above everything else, so if a strong Fire type gets the upper hand in battle Klang will flee immediately."

"Klang's offensive abilities are a little weak, so it would be a good idea to even the situation by using defence lowering moves such as Screech and Metal Sound. Please be aware that both of those moves can damage your hearing and cause deafness if used inappropriately. Oh, and Klang prefers to use ranged moves rather than ones that require physical contact, because it doesn't like it's body enduring hits like that, even though it can take them easily. Is this empty creature really being fussy?"

Wow! You managed to do this section all by yourself! And you only got interrupted by me once!

"Huh? But it's your fault if you interrupt me!"

**With Fellow Pokémon: **"For the most part Klang won't even acknowledge the existence of other Pokémon unless they announce themselves as useful or as a threat. If they convince Klang they're useful, then Klang will find a way to abuse that usefulness to its maximum. It they make themselves a threat, then they may go missing overnight, never to be seen again."

Oooh, scary scary.

"It's actually better to tell your other Pokémon to stay out of Klang's way, because any attention they gain from it will certainly be unwanted indeed. It's not like they'll gain anything from interacting with Klang, aside from fear and a hatred of robots. It would be better to have a whole team of Klang and Klink rather than a Klang on a team with other Pokémon. Klang and Klink function together perfectly and can make a lethally competent threat even without your direction."

**Warnings: **"Don't stick anything of yours in Klang's teeth."

Don't stick anything of yours in Klang's teeth.

HAH! Jinx! Now you owe me a cola!

"What's that, Furryboy? Jynx gives you a boner?"

YOU-

**Summary: **Meh. That's all I can really say about this Pokémon. It's just so incredibly bland that I feel like this chapter was a waste of time. Catching it is a waste of time too. Why don't you go chase after a Patrat or something? At the very least it will grow to care about you. Meanwhile Klang will be plotting the downfall of humanity with its cohorts.

"What Fuhri is trying to say is that Klang doesn't not suit the tastes of most people, but for those who aren't concerned about interaction or simply want a quiet, obedient servant to fulfil all their tasks then Klang can be of some use to you. But he is right; a Patrat would be much cuter to own that… metal creature."

_(What the hell are we going to do for Klinklang's chapter?)_

_("I have no idea!")_

******Next Time… Number 107 Klinklang!**

* * *

Juniper's Note: Teehee~ Furryboy said I couldn't have my own afternote, but this is what he gets for leaving the Audtype lying around. To be honest, I'm having a huge amount of fun writing these chapters alongside Fuhri. I wish I could stay for the rest of the guide, but he would have a fit if I suggested that. It's rare for him to stay calm in my presence, for whatever reason his immature brain believes. But I can tell he's trying really hard so these chapters can get done. It might just be a hunch, but I think he's secretly enjoying my time here. He does spend most of his time here alone, with only that nerdy assistant of his popping in now and then. I've known him since kindergarten, so I can't help but feel empathetic to the poor man.

Recently he showed me something internet-related called 'trolling'. It's where you do things simply to piss people off and enjoy their resulting reaction. It sounds like fun, so I want to try! I think I'll go home and write a story about Fuhri and his Mienfoo getting trapped in a cave on one stormy night, and when they have to huddle together to keep warm they take their relationship one step further~ Hehehe… Oooh! And I can upload it onto his website and see what all his fans think! I'm on my way to becoming a great troll!

* * *

Fuhri's Note: That bitch! She's been playing around with this, hasn't she? What did she do? Did she record something? What's she up to?! Ugh… I should have tried writing these chapters without her…

* * *

**A/N: Go ahead, call this a crappy chapter. I won't mind. I'll be in the corner drinking sake until the room swirls if you need me.**

**I had a very difficult exam on Monday, and I'm not too sure how well I did. To be honest, I didn't study much of the****音読み ****of the kanji, so I probably botched it up pretty bad. Bein unsure of my results has made me a little stressed for the entire week, so I haven't been up to writing the guide, and it's obvious how much it's affected my writing capabilities. On a side note, learning the****かった ****and****くなかった ****forms of adjectives is a major pain in the ass.**

**On a more positive note, 100,000 views! woo! Thank you everyone! I'm not sure whether that's an achievement or not. It seems like a big number, but it also seems arrogant of me to assume it's a big number.**

**I hope Juniper gets around to writing that story she was plotting. It would be amusing to read, even if it was just to poke fun at Fuhri. She doesn't actually realise that Mienfoo died, so she doesn't understand how cruel she's being to poor Fuhri.**


	119. 107 Klinklang

**Note: Victini's Chapter has been fully re-written from scratch, to be at least three times the length of the original. It also does a much better job of portraying Victini and reveals a lot of information about Unova's ancient history; but it's something of an information dump. I honestly have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote that shoddy original… **

**I don't normally ask for reviews, I leave that up to your discretion, but please have a look at the re-write and tell me what you think.**

**Also, massive AN at the bottom with a lot of important information. Please don't skip it. Or better yet, take the time to share your opinion for once.**

* * *

**Number: ** # 107

**Type: **Steel

**Species: **Gear

**Gender: **Genderless

**Japanese Name: **Gigigiaru

**Human Friendship Level: **Medium

**Description: **Congratulations! Klinklang is the final stage of its evolutionary family, and if you've come this far alongside it then you're either a stubborn moron of have the patience of a saint.

"Hey! Don't insult the readers like that! Anyone who evolved a Klinklang is going to feel bad now!"

And just how many people, let alone those who bought this book, have the intention of owning this Pokémon, do you think?

"Umm… maybe one or two?"

Exactly. Besides, I've poked fun at so many demographs and Pokémon by now that any fans of Klinklang will be drowned out amongst the rest of the outrage.

"You shouldn't act so calm when talking about enraging your own readers. Aren't you afraid of the repercussions?"

Meh, all my readers love me. Lots of them like me for my snarky attitude anyway, so they're probably expecting it.

"Ugh, I'm a little jealous. All of my followers and peers are always expecting me to produce thorough reports and act professionally 24/7. Being the region's top professor brings that kind of expectation, you know. Part of the reason I visit you all the time is because I feel like I can relax and enjoy myself… I'm really grateful I have a friend like you, you know?"

S-top, y-you're d-d-derailing the chapter…

"Oh, sorry. Moving back on track; few changes occur after evolving from Klang, something that seems to be a recurring theme for this species. Just like it did last time Klinklang uses it's unknown formula to manipulate the energy within itself to create another physical part of itself. This consists of an extra gear which is attached to the larger body, plus a spiked rim which floats on the outside of that. This rim is supported by a magnetic field which surrounds the Pokémon as a whole."

What's the point? Klinklang is supposed to be intelligent, so why does it go to so much effort to make a larger body like that? It seems pointless.

"It may seem like that, but each part serves a valid purpose. The smaller gear with the red node acts as an energy storage unit. All of the energy generated by both of the minigears is stored away in here, which the Klinklang can use at any time, like a battery. The material that this node is made of allows energy to be compacted down; letting it store enough energy to survive off of for at least a decade."

So it's nothing but a greedy energy hoarder. But thinking logically, every action must have a useful consequence, even if it's only useful much later down the road… Is Klinklang storing energy to invade humanity with in the future?!

"Um… Not at all. You've been watching too many robot movies. Klinklang stockpiles energy for the sake of possessing large amounts of energy. In the linear mind of Klinklang, energy is the most precious thing in the world. There's no such thing as 'too much'. It won't stop storing energy until it's reached its maximum capacity."

It doesn't change the fact that it's greedy.

"Well, humans can be just the same. If someone could they would happily collect vast wealth, even beyond the point where they could never spend it all. Who would want to say 'that's enough gold ingots please' or 'I don't need another truckload of diamonds'? Even though having more doesn't change anything, we still seek it for the sake of it."

We'll, I'll concede that argument to you. Greed is a standard part of human nature after all. I still don't like the look of Klinklang though; that blank expression is the kind of face a homicidal maniac would have.

"It's funny you should say that. In retrospect of their placid nature, they view us as overemotional, erratic lunatics. The way we readily express our opinions and emotions, disobey authority and generally just act like normal humans and Pokémon makes wild Klinklang see us as abstract anomalies lacking logic. Considering that's how everyone behaves, this world must seem like an abstract nightmare to them. It would be like locking a socially awkward genius in a room with rowdy five year olds. They don't feel like they fit in at all."

I'm still not sympathetic towards them if that was your intention.

"Nah, I wasn't. I couldn't care less about them either as it is."

Well then, why did you spend so much time researching them then?

"Someone had to research about them, and no one else was interested! I took a liking to Klink and I still have it, but Klinklang is just… boring."

Oh, before we get side-tracked any further, what's the purpose of that spiky ring Klinklang now has?

"Hmm, that? It's a laser array."

What?!

"It's a laser array. Y'know, an array of lasers?"

What the hell does it need that for?!

"As a weapon of course. Klinklang can fire lasers in a full 360 radius, meaning enemies cannot attack a blind spot. Klinklang can also shoot in _all _directions at once, even at a long range. Because of that, they're very difficult to take down. If someone wants to fight Klinklang they're certainly going to get hurt in the process. Normally multiple attackers can easily deal with a threat, but since Klinklang can shoot lasers in all directions at once, numbers count for nothing."

Do you really mean lasers, as in the kind that leave gaping, molten holes?

"Yes. They are formed of highly concentrated energy focused through the fine tip of each spike on Klinklang's rim. A single beam would leave a nice hole in someone's head; a Klinglang could easily mow down an entire militia with just a few laser bursts. They are certainly a deadly force when they want to be, which is thankfully almost never."

Ugh, this isn't helping my mistrust of this species…

**Personality: **"Last chapter I mentioned how a Klang's mentality never changes after evolution, and that remains entirely true for domesticated Klinklang too. But Wild Klinklang are slightly different. Human society is the opposite of nature. Unlike nature, society has strict rules, grids, patterns and regulations. The entire human race chugs along guidelines whether it's on a minute scale, or a massive one. Having such a logical mind, the Klink species easily gets caught up in this organized structure and thus allow it to overrun their minds."

So you're saying our rigid human society is what makes their minds remain in one permanent state after evolution?

"That's right. Even though they see us as humans weird, they find our logical structure comforting in a world of abnormalities. They _want _their minds to be affected by it, because it's comforting to them."

Comforting? But this entire time you've reassured us all that this species has no emotions…

"Well, I guess comforting is the wrong word. As I've said they don't feel emotions such as fear, but they easily understand when their life is in danger and they feel the urgency to preserve their own life. When there are no threats Klinklang detects that also, and becomes docile as a result."

Oooh, I get it. Even though they don't feel emotions, their sense of self-preservation simulates them so Klinklang can survive on the instincts that an emotional Pokémon would have.

"Um… That's only part right. But coming back to my original statement, wild Klinklang are different from the domestic ones that have allowed human society to weld their mind closed-"

I think you're starting to contradict yourself…

"Shut up. So, wild Klinklang have not been warped by humans, and since they cannot evolve any further their minds will never become the same state as their domestic counterparts. While domestic Klinklang will forever be locked in the same state of mind until they rust away, wild Klinklang can develop and change the way they think whenever they like.

Huh, If I actually cared about Klinklang I would say it's rather cruel to catch a Klink of Klang until they've fully evolved.

"Yes, that's true. Unless you want a mindless robozombie for a Pokémon, it would be better to catch a wild Klinklang. The differences are still minute however; their lack of emotion makes them indistinguishable from each other. There is stark difference however…"

Oh?

"While domestic Klinklang remain alone or blindly follow their trainer, Wild Klinklang often form groups including many wild Klink and Klang, acting like a organized group. They also take further action to prevent their members from being captured by humans and take aggressive actions if needed. If the group comes under attack, the Klinklang will take position at the front and form a barricade, firing off barrages of lasers at anyone who comes near. Wild Klinklang are no pushovers and have to be taken seriously."

So they ARE planning to attack us! We need to launch a pre-emptive strike before-

"Oh shut up, seriously. They have no interest in attacking us. At most, they're trying their very best to stay out of our way. They know well enough that the allied forces of both humans and Pokémon would be far too much for them to handle. If Klinklang want to exist in this world then they must accept their role in it, and that's what they've done."

Aww, you ruin all my fun. At the very least I wanted to imagine they were a threat, no action has happened since Team Plasma's last uprise.

"Hopefully that's their _last _uprise. We don't need those troublemakers anymore."

Team Plasma is out for the count alright, but Ghetsis is still at large. Who knows what he's planning?

"Last I heard, he went completely bonkers. Can't even leave the room without the assistance of his loyal Shadow Triad."

Hmm… I want to look a little further into it. Would it be controversial to include a Celebrity Spotlight in this guide?

"Well, I guess people would be interested in learning about the madman that nearly drove Unova to ruin twice. But please be careful, he still has some modicum of power under his control. Messing with him could be dangerous…"

Feh, it's fine. What can decrepit one old man do?

* * *

**Lifespan: **Being of inorganic material, Klinklang has no defined lifespan and as such should be treated as though it will never age. I can guarantee that you will never see Klinklang die of old age in your lifetime.

"Being of inorganic material, Klinklang has no defined lifespan and as such should, um, be treated as though it will never age. I can guarantee that you won't see Klinklang die of age in your lifetime. "

HAH! You said it wrong, I win. Where's that coffee you owe me?

"What kind of man are you? I'm the guest, and I'm also a woman. You should act chivalrous for once and make _me _a coffee!"

No way. Last time I tried acting 'chivalrous' to a woman by holding a door open for her, she accused me of being a sexist male pig, that she could hold a door open for herself, and that I should stop acting like woman are incapable of anything.

"Ouch. Well, she was a little over-the-top. Most women would love to have a man hold a door open for her like that!"

Nuh-uh. Go open your own doors, and go make your own coffee.

*sigh* "Whatever then."

**Diet: **"This is terribly boring when I have to repeat myself like this, I honestly have no idea how you put up with it."

I don't normally have to repeat myself like this. Even when evolutionary forms are very similar, there's always something new or different to talk about. Klinklang and its pre-evolutions are just an exception, an irritating one at that. Once I move onto Tynamo things should get more interesting.

"Well, I'll hurry up and bear with this then…"

"Klinklang uses the friction occurring between the two minigears to generate power, which it then stores within the red node resting in the third, inanimate gear. This energy is used by Klinklang to do things such as move around or use attacks."

I guess Klinklang is just the same as us, but is only slightly different…

"What are you talking about?"

We need food to live, right?

"Of course."

In reality we need _energy_, which is required to keep our bodily functions running. Food contains that potential energy, so we consume it to take the energy and store it in our own bodies. If food didn't have energy and nutrition's, we wouldn't eat it.

"Oh, I see."

Kinda like how devices use batteries. A remote needs energy to work, so we put batteries in it to power it with the energy stored inside them. But say you install a solar panel into that remote, then the battery would be useless and the remote wouldn't rely on it.

"And the point of all that is?"

We see Klinklang as strange for not eating, and producing its own energy. But it reality, there's nothing strange about it at all. Just like us Klinklang is acquiring energy to survive, the means may be different, but the goal is the same.

"Hmm… I suppose you're right… but I think I'd rather eat. Speaking of eating, I'm a little hungry. I think I'll just go and order another pizza~"

NO!

* * *

**How To Bond: **So, I'm assuming that a domestic Klinklang is still the trainer's loyal little slave, with no amount of changes?

"That's right. Whatever state you left your Klang in, it will still be exactly the same. Enjoy playing with your subordinate."

How boring. We didn't get to say anything for this subsection.

"Of course, wild Klinklang are completely different from domestic ones."

Ah, that's right.

"Wild Klinklang are focused on only survival and are less open to human interaction. While they do not actively attack humans, they will retaliate with lethal force should any chase after them or their group. Worse still, any Klink or Klang under that Klinklang's command will aid their leader in its attempts to kill you. Trying to catch a wild Klinklang is a deadly affair."

Just don't go after the stupid thing. Problem solved.

"If you're going after a Klinklang, you will _certainly _need a strong Fire type to back you up. Preferably a whole team of six would be better. If you're one of the trainers that chose Tepig back at my lab, then it will certainly make your effort much easier."

Let's assume that they manage to overwhelm Klinklang's forces and capture the metal bastard. Then what?

"Considering that you've managed to beat it, Klinklang will be wary of you but will be inclined not to attack you; especially if you have your Fire types nearby. However, it will want to return to its friends immediately and will abandon you as quickly as it can. To prevent this, you're going to have to temporarily imprison it somewhere where it cannot escape. It might take a lot of effort to find such a suitable place, but it's vital. Maybe a Daycare can help you? It will take a few months, and perhaps you might have to beat It up a few times, but eventually Klinklang will become docile enough for you to let it out."

What a hassle for such a pointless Pokémon.

"Once you've let Klinklang out, you need to get it busy straight away. Give it jobs, boss it around, try and get it so caught up in work that it forgets any sort of rebellious ideas. Bit by bit the call of human organization will wear away at Klinklang's mind, and it will eventually find itself unable to resist. At that time, Klinklang will lose its individuality and become just as soulless as it's domestic counterparts are."

So, the trainer has the option of either catching a Klink or Klang and enslaving it then, or catch a feisty Klinklang and chipping away at its free will until it can no longer resist. My Arceus, Virizion would soil his pink panties in rage if he heard of this!

"Eh? Virizion wears pink panties?"

Well, that's what a… _friend _of mine told me.

"Um, okay? Who would this 'friend' be, and how would they know so much about such an elusive Pokémon?"

He's a friend of mine, and he's a friend of Virizion. That's all you need to know about him.

**Love: "**You know what? I only just noticed it but, we've been working together quite well through this chapter. Isn't our teamwork great?"

I've merely gotten used to your annoying presence. Besides, I want to get this chapter over and done with and not have it mucked up with our arguing…

"Oh, what a spoil-sport you are. And I was hoping you were having fun too…"

Hmph.

"I guess we should start on the Love section, huh."

Don't bother. The reader will already understand how futile romancing this Pokémon is.

**Battling: **"Klinklang are actually surprisingly competent at battle, posing a big threat to anyone who doesn't resist Steel. While their ability to withstand mighty attacks and the speed at which they can retaliate are notable perks, their most fearsome ability is the many, omnidirectional lasers they can fire away. Too many of these it lethal for both humans and Pokémon, so we should all be grateful that Klinklang use them sparingly."

Great, the evil AI is OP.

"While these lasers are the most powerful weapon Klinklang has, they cannot be used too much. These obviously use up the power Klinklang generates to survive, and thus using them too much can exhaust Klinklang or even kill it. If Klinklang has enough energy it will fire these at your command, but if Klinklang is running low on energy it will refuse to do so, and you shouldn't blame the poor thing."

So Klinklang uses It's life-force as a weapon. I guess that would be like us fighting with blood?

"If you hear Klinklang make a very strange robotic noise and see the smaller minigear suddenly whir at a blinding speed, brace yourself for some major carnage. This means that Klinklang is using Shift Gear, a move which raises it's Speed and Attack. If Klinklang is using this move, then shorty after any foes are going to be obliterated."

Hmm… If I didn't have a dislike for this species, and I enjoyed Pokémon battles, I would consider catching one of the-

"Shush you, I'm on a roll. Klinklang also has the option of using Lock-On, which will make sure the next move will hit without fail. If you're planning to use a finishing move then this will make it so much more epic, but it takes a few seconds for Klinklang to calculate enough for it to become effective. Be aware that using this move will leave Klinklang vulnerable for a period of time."

That's understandable. All of the strongest Pokémon moves have some sort of setback.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **"Hey, can the Audtype copy and paste? We should just take whatever we said last chapter and put it here."

Uh, it can't copy spoken words. That would be stupid.

"Well, it's a recording device isn't it? Can't you just repeat what we said last time and then do a little editing?"

This Audtype is a prototype. I only got it because I went to Silph Co's convention and managed to strike up a conversation with Mr Silph himself. This prototype isn't capable of doing complicated things.

"Ah, that's a shame. Why don't you hurry up and buy a newer version?"

It's still in development. There haven't been any new releases since I got mine.

"Geez, what are we supposed to say! Klinklang doesn't behave any different-"

Perhaps we're looking at this the wrong way. We're too focused on how little Klinklang changes, and thus we might be overlooking something…

"Well… I guess Klinklang _does _act a little bossier…"

Clarify please?

"In the wild Klinklang act as leaders, commanding Klink and Klang around to make sure the whole group functions efficiently. While that is now your job and Klinklang respects that, it may start pushing your other Pokémon around if it feels they aren't working hard enough."

Oh, it's a good thing you mentioned that. A trainer would need to know something like that!

"Indeed! Understandably lots of Pokémon do not take kindly to such impetuous behaviour, so fights between Klinklang and disgruntled Pokémon readily break out. I advise the reader to teach Klinklang to mind its own business, otherwise it won't understand why it's getting into so much trouble."

Great! We actually taught the reader something for once!

**Warnings: **The standard 'Look but don't touch' applies here once again. This time, not only can you be ground up between Klinklang's teeth, but those spikes can make short work of you too.

"Oh yeah, I saw a movie where the villain accidentally backed into his Klinklang and got impaled on its spikes. What a disappointing end."

Ooh, I read about that kind of plot ploy. It's called a Deus Ex Machina. It's mostly used by lacklustre dupes to explain things because they have no talent to do otherwise. Although sometimes it's actually a useful or clever ploy. Sometimes.

**Summary: **"Klinklang is a Pokémon that requires a lot of time and effort to obtain. It's up to you to decide whether you want to work so hard to get one or not."

Be a _little _more specific! This final subsection is supposed to provide enough information to help the reader weigh up the pros and cons and decide whether they want the specific Pokémon or not.

"Looking back, you haven't done an overly great job…"

Hey!

"Ah! P-Please don't yell. You scared me…"

Oh, I'm sorry.

"It's okay…"

Fine, I'll try harder. As Juniper said, it isn't easy to catch a Klinklang. You have to go through a lot of effort which may be in vain if Klinklang turns out to be an incompatible Pokémon.

Firstly, as you know Klinklang has _no _emotions whatsoever. While all of other Pokémon will all look at you and smile, frown or even grimace, Klinklang will callously glare at you, trying to predict your next move so it can react appropriately. Some Klinklang trainers have become severely depressed as a result of being around such a Pokémon for an extended period of time.

On the other hand, Klinklang is very powerful, and can work much harder and longer than any other Pokémon made of flesh. If you want a Pokémon just for battling or working that you don't frequently see, one that you'll never form close bonds with, then Klinklang is a perfect candidate. For any other reason I advise against getting one, simply because it has such a bad reputation for being a depressive menace.

"That's better! The reader can actually use that. Although I'm not sure that's a professional review just yet."

I'm famous for being unprofessional. Somehow people like that… I believe it's because people like having a professor who doesn't seem all uppity and condescending like the rest of you.

"Hey! I'm not uppity! I get along with everyone that visits my lab!"

One angry-mob-of-people-protesting-about-legendary-gen ders says otherwise.

"Ugh, they were a bunch of idiots. Not worth my time at all."

…

Well, we're done here. It's time you go back to your crappy little lab, and I get started on Tynamo's chapter by myself.

"Aww, can't I stay around a little longer? I've had so much fun spending time here with you, and even if its just for a little bit… I don't want to leave your side. You're really important to me, you know?"

Hey! D-don't hug m-me! What-

"Please? I don't want to go back to my lab. I want to stay here, with you. I can help you write the whole guide!"

Of course not. Didn't I tell you when we first started on Klink? You're only here because I needed your information to write these chapters. I didn't have any fun writing this, and I didn't have any fun with you. What a stupid idea it was to bring you here. You're annoying. Go away.

"…!"

"…"

"…"

"I see… I'll… I'll just go then…"

Hey! Don't start crying! You're making me feel bad…

* * *

**Next Time… Number 108 Tynamo! **

**A/N: Sorry for this horrible chapter. I write this story because I find it fun, but I didn't have much fun writing this. I'm hoping I forget all about it soon, and no-one ever brings it back up. Tynamo's chapter will be a lot brighter!**

**On an offhand note, Fuhri's relationship with Juniper sure is weird. He talks crass about her behind her back, yet he behaves in her presence, but when she acts sweet he freaks out. Can't he make up his mind?**

**Moving onto a more serious topic, I'm sure you've all seen the new revelations about X and Y. Unexpectedly the new things revealed will have an effect on this guide, so I need to inform you of that. Firstly, Fairy types. Personally, they make me furious. They are a stupid idea, and they only exist because a bunch of whiny kids couldn't figure out how to counter Dragon types. **

**But inevitably I can't deny their existence; they are going to have too big an impact to do that. So yes, when the Extended Kalos Guide comes out Fairy types will be in there along with all the other new Pokémon. And I won't be biased against them, I promise. However, any Pokémon prior to Gen VI that are being re-typed will REMAIN as they were before this new gen came out. For example, Jigglypuff will remain Normal, and Marill will remain a Water type.**

**Continuing on from that, there's the possibility that Xerneas is a Fairy type. If that's true, then I'm classing him as a Grass – Steel type in the guide. I don't care if it's breaking canon, there's no way I'm letting Xerneas become a shitty Fairy.**

**Finally, I'm progressing through the guide slower than what I had anticipated. If I finish the guide after October, then won't hold a poll and will continue with the Kalos guide immediately. **

**Also, have a look at this. I posted it on the top of my profile page too:**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: While exploring Tumblr today, I came across something surprising. It seems there is now an ask blog on Tumblr named 'Ask Gentleman Xerneas'. Before I say anything, let me tell you that is NOT me. I don't know who it is, but please don't mistake it for me.**

**Now, I don't really understand what is actually going on here. Is someone impersonating me? Did someone come across my name and decide to steal it? Or is it an extreme coincidence that they chose that specific name? What's going on?**

**Now, as some of you may remember my original name was Inababoy. On the 16th of January (my birthday) I changed it to Gentleman Xerneas to celebrate not only me turning 18, but to celebrate the new revelation of X and Y one week prior. I had a look into the background of that blog, and it started up only two weeks ago. I changed my name to Gentleman Xerneas five months before that.**

**To be honest I'm not mad about this, even if they really did steal my name. Well I guess I am, just a little. I'm just concerned that people are going to mistake that person for me, or even assume that I'm the thief. They've already gone around and made themselves known, so the people on Tumblr will be confused if they come across my profile here. If anyone has any information about it, please let me know ****straight**** away!**

**I might be getting worked up over nothing, who knows. And I might be acting arrogant and self-entitled, I don't know either. But seriously, the chances of someone using that name **_**without **_**seeing it on my profile are very slim. At the very least they could have asked for my permission.**


	120. 108 Tynamo

**Number: **#108

**Type: **Electric

**Species: **Electric Fish

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Shibishirasu

**Human Friendship Level: **Medium

**Description: **Today we're going to learn about the delicious and tasty Tynamo, a cheap and inexpensive ingredient which can be included in a variety of meals. My personal favourite are Tynamo fritters, a simple meal that really brings out the flavour…

Ah, there's no point. For just a little while I wanted to pretend that this was a cooking show, but I'm not even fooling myself. I guess I better get on with this chapter…

Just like Sawsbuck, the Tynamo species has a set migration which they seamlessly follow. However, the Sawsbuck's migration is an annually recurring event that ties in with the change of season. Sawsbuck have fairly long lives composed mostly of aimless migrating, so they don't pay much attention to it. They're normally too busy watching humans with suspicion, or keeping their rampant sex drive in check in Spring. But the Tynamo species migrates only thrice in one lifetime, each time coinciding with its evolution into a stronger form. This is a mandatory part of its lifetime, failure to comply with Mother Nature's demands will result in a callous death.

Nearby Chargestone Cave lies a dense cluster of creeks and rivers, aptly named 'Lugia's Wings'; because they are coincidentally shaped like a Lugia with it's wings outspread. Apart from its interesting shape there isn't anything special about it, although a documentary team from Johto were stupid enough to believe it was a breeding ground for Lugia. They spend several months hanging around the area waiting for some Lugia studs to get lucky, wasting several million dollars in the process. HAH!

Anyway, during the peak of summer adult Eelektross make their way through the many waterways leading from the ocean, and lay their eggs in large clusters all throughout this area. By the time the many Tynamo fry are born their parents are long gone, not to be seen again. But the Tynamo don't care about that, they're already obeying their instincts and flocking to Chargestone Cave, where they will spend the rest of their primary stage.

As they currently are Tynamo are pathetically weak, even a single Blitzle could put ten Tynamo to shame. Because of that, Tynamo need to remain within Chargestone Cave, a place where the humming electricity in the air will nurture them and keep them in top form. If they leave the network of caverns they act as though they are sickly and weak. This had lead numerous people to the conclusion that Tynamo need to constantly be in the presence of atmospheric electricity otherwise they fall ill, but that's a misconception. In reality, they are simply returning to their normal state. The only reason they seem so active in Chargestone Cave is because the electricity within there is supercharging them! But since Tynamo are most commonly seen in that charged state, we have misconceived that as 'normal'.

At any rate, it is normal for their species. Tynamo living elsewhere are too weak to defend themselves, and as I can attest, they are wonderfully delicious. Any Tynamo that don't make it to the safety of Chargestone Cave will quickly be caught and devoured; by human or Pokémon. It sounds a little cruel to kick the poor buggers while they're down, but since they're going to die anyway you might as well make a good casserole out of them!

Tynamo is quite bizarre for its taxonomy classification; while classified as a fish it spends its whole time in this form on land. Furthermore, it is the only fish Pokémon to live in this manner. However, it is the only fish that has the ability Levitate. With this ability, Tynamo can… well… levitate. While any other fish would uselessly flap around out of water Tynamo can manage just fine, even if it is much weaker than its water dwelling associates.

It also has a unique type of skin too. While it is very thick, the cells it is made of easily absorb electricity; similar to how normal cells use osmosis to let useful molecules through. If you don't know what osmosis is go look it up yourself, I'm not a biology teacher. This lets Tynamo charge up much quicker than any other _biological _species of Pokémon. Even though Blitzle and the others have stronger firepower and such, they have to go to greater efforts to obtain the same amount that Tynamo can.

You could compare it to how we eat. In order to get the nutrients from food, we have to put it in our mouth, chew it, swallow it, and then let our body break it down and process it painstakingly. Wouldn't it be much easier it we drained food of its nutrients simply by touching it? Even in its weak state, Tynamo has one advantage.

**Personality: **Even the most juvenile trainer knows one thing about Pokémon; there is a clandestine chain of command that every Pokémon fits into, and that every species has a role to play in it. Some species regardless of their rank are kind and considerate, whereas some abuse whatever power they may have to bully the weak and either defy or begrudgingly comply to their superiors demands. Every weak species that clings to the bottom rung of this chain, Patrat, Roggenrola, Tympole, they all understand that they must band together and fight if they wish to survive.

The Tynamo fit into this niche just fine, and they use their secluded habitat and thick numbers to their advantage. Few predators would wander into Chargestone Cave, and those that do and ousted by the writhing hordes of Tynamo. "All for one, and one for all." That's actually a quote from Cobalion, but the Tynamo live by that code anyway. They stick with each other and never deviate, if one falls ill the entire horde will remain until it is well enough to move onwards. If one Tynamo is attacked, everyone else will attack with fury as though they were the victim. If a stranger treats one Tynamo nicely, then every other one will become friendly towards that Tynamo as well. With this peaceful flowing nature, the Tynamo have no worries whatsoever.

Because of their hive-mind attitude and tendency to go with the flow, people easily write them off as a dim-witted species that don't know any better. But truthfully they are smarter than they appear. For such tiny brains as theirs, they can remember quite a lot of information. For example, if one Tynamo gets separated from the group, it will be able to remember the layout of the whole cavern system and make its way back to the safety of the group.

Furthermore, while the Tynamo try to keep to themselves, they are skilled at befriending the other local inhabitants if there is anything to gain from it. For example a member falls ill, and an Audino passing through the cave is holding some Pecha berries. The Tynamo will work together as a group to offer services or rewards in exchange for those Pecha berries. Six summers ago a group of Excadrill took refuge in Chargestone Cave after being pursued by Team Plasma for days on end. It was reported that the Tynamo offered to defend the Excadrill from their pursuers, so long as they helped the Tynamo supress the neighbouring Galvantula, who had been causing the Tynamo a fair bit of trouble.

To summarize; don't dismiss your Pokémon as idiots without giving it some deep thought first. There's a great chance they're much smarter than you realise, and may even be pulling strings behind your back. No one likes being treated like a simpleton, so in this case they may decide to enact their revenge on you for being so shallow minded.

From what I just told you, Tynamo seems like quite a cruel species. Only caring about the welfare of others so long as they get something in return. But Tynamo are actually quite considerate, and will act compassionately if they can spare it. They come to defend anyone who can't protect themselves, because the Tynamo understand what it means to be powerless. They will also guide lost travellers though Chargestone Cave even if it means changing the path they were moving along. If they can help, they will help. That's the spirit that this small and unassuming species possess.

Tynamo caught and owned by human trainers are very frightened and distressed creatures. Since they have been taken away from their one safe habitat, and now they no longer have their friends and family to help them when they need it… I would almost call it cruelty to catch one of these.

**Lifespan:** This is probably the billionth time I repeated this, but it can't be helped when it's so relevant. For nearly every species across the world that has a their three evolutionary family, the first stage is nothing but a temporary fixture, a form where the Pokémon can become stabilized in life and learn what it can for its _final _stage, where it becomes a fully developed Pokémon. Now, I'm not saying final forms are superior to their previous forms. Perhaps in strength and experience yes, but their value in life has not changed at all. Unevolved Pokémon can be just as mature, cunning or thoughtful as their future stages, so don't forget that.

But the point still remains that Tynamo isn't supposed to stay this way. At the end of the Tynamo's first winter, it is time for them to leave Chargestone Cave and make their way to the waterways meandering their way throughout Unova, where they can evolve into Eelektrik and carry on with their life. From then on, Chargestone Cave will be left devoid of Tynamo until next summer, where the next batch of Tynamo fry will quickly rush in to fill the vacant area.

Of course, not every Tynamo is strong or quick enough to leave the caverns with its brethren. Those that don't have the strength to carry on in life are picked off one by one by predators. This is nature's way of weeding out the weaker ones that have no useful contribution to life. "After all, if you have no purpose in life, you might as well curl up in die, right?" I hate to quote Giovanni, but he's speaking what seems like the truth.

To cut a long story short, you only have the next spring until your Tynamo's life depends on evolving. At that time, I hope you're close enough to a river or lake to let Tynamo take on its next role in life; otherwise everything both you and it have done until now was a waste. Not only of time, but of life.

**Diet: **As is standard with Electric types, Tynamo feds off of a sole diet of electricity. Whoop-dee-doo, right? It's convenient for you, because you don't have to worry about feeding the little fish; but it makes it harder for me to say something interesting here.

Tynamo have their own organs which produce electricity, just enough to make sure they remain fed and mobile. But due to the small size and inefficiency of these organs, they cannot produce enough to make Tynamo competent in battle. Staying within Chargestone Cave fills the Tynamo with enough energy to never have to worry about food, so they focus on playing and other pursuits.

But your Tynamo is different, as soon as you take it away from it's safe haven it's going to feel weak and in a permanent state of exhaustion. No matter what you do you can't substitute for the electric aura that Tynamo normally feeds off of in Chargestone Cave; but you _can _provide batteries or generators for Tynamo to say electricity from. Or as an alternative, Tynamo can stop for a feed at powerlines or powerplants. Be aware that you may be arrested by security, or attacked by other Electric types feeding off of the same energy.

**How To Bond: **You've attacked Tynamo, snatched it away from its brethren, taken it away from the one place where it is safe, and now expect it to endure all that for your sake. In Tynamo's eyes, you're the biggest bastard it's ever met in its life.

With that being said, you're relationship with Tynamo isn't doomed. Even though it's your fault Tynamo is in this situation, it can no longer fend for itself, nor can it make it back to Chargestone Cave alive. Even Tynamo knows to never bite the hand that feeds you, even if it's the hand that tore you from your home. It's depending solely upon your protection and guidance to survive from now on.

So even though it's probably pissed at you it will comply with most of your demands regardless. That doesn't mean you should abuse your potential as Tynamo's master however, if Tynamo realises that you're simply manipulating it as a weapon or tool; then chances are it will give up and die. Tynamo corpses rot quickly, and they _stink. _You have less than an hour to cook Tynamo up and eat it before it goes bad.

Now, Tynamo's dependency on you is your gateway to befriending it. Most Pokémon can be emotionally independent from you even while they're caught in a Pokeball, but Tynamo can't and won't consider leaving your group. By acting protective and fatherly/motherly of Tynamo you're instilling the sense of security and peace of mind that it desires. The safer Tynamo feels in your presence, the more loyal it will feel towards you as a result. Being friendly, acting kind or concerned for Tynamo's wellbeing… Since it normally lives in a thick horde of its own kind, a mere face in the masses, being given such a sense of individualism will make Tynamo very proud and grateful indeed.

In addition to that, you need to convince Tynamo that you're a competent a fierce, yet kind and benevolent leader. Your ultimate goal is to instil a sense of patriotism in Tynamo, make it feel like it belongs to you, and that it is obliged to fight for you in any ordeal. Considering how weak and helpless Tynamo currently is it may seem like your efforts are a waste, but that's because you're actually planning for the future. If you can take care of Tynamo now, its loyalty and devotion to you will become a terror-inducing weapon when it evolves into the highly dangerous Eelektross!

I must remind you, when Tynamo is ready to evolve and the end of its first winter; you _MUST _be near an adequate fresh water source, preferably a river or lake. If you fail to get Tynamo there in time, it will die without uncertainty. You'll be livid with yourself if you spent all that time with Tynamo only for it die in such a pathetic way.

**Love: **You love Tynamo? You mean you love the _taste _of Tynamo, right? I know I do.

When someone is attracted to a certain Pokémon species, they often catch one and expect it to love them in return immediately. Sorry to disappoint all you fangirls out there, but that's not how romance works. If you want your Pokémon to return your feelings of romantic love, then you're going to have to prove yourself worthy first. Granted Pokémon occasionally _do _fall in love with their trainer/ a human but some romance is to be expected; especially when we spend so much time in their proximity. The other day while I was at the Pokémart some kid's Deerling came up and starting thrusting his manhood against my thigh. The little bastard should be grateful his trainer put him back in his pokeball before I beat him senseless with a Hyper Potion.

Shit… Even with Juniper gone I'm getting side-tracked… To cut a long story short, Tynamo isn't going to love you in return very easily. It's going to take months of you carrying out my instructions in the Bonding section before Tynamo opens up enough for you to even suggest s romance. When you decide to be honest with the little fish, don't be surprised if it's confused as hell.

This species don't normally consider finding a mate until they reach their final form, so Tynamo is almost certainly going to decline you on your offer. Don't be that surprised; you are technically hitting on a juvenile, your actions have been questionable from the beginning.

**Battling: **Electricity is not only what Tynamo uses to survive, but what it uses to fight. After all, it's doesn't have any limbs to strike with, nor does it have a psychic mind. Exerting too much electricity in fighting will leave Tynamo starving and weak, a Pokémon sure to die. Back within its natural habitat Tynamo would be able to quickly recover, but in your care it's going to take a lot longer than that.

It's worth nothing that Tynamo and its later forms have one thing unique about them, and that is their complete lack of weaknesses. Normally Electric types have the sole weakness of Ground moves, but fortunately for this species their ability is Levitate, which makes them immune to their one threat. Because of that, there is no way to quickly deal with large numbers of this species.

But despite that advantage, I advise against using Tynamo as a battling Pokémon. It is simply too weak to do any good out on the field and chances are it will be severely injured or killed in its first fight. Witnessing something like that would be _horrible _I assure you. Nearly everyone who witnesses their own Pokémon die during their first battle is so disturbed they give up on Pokémon battles for good.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Wild Pokémon also know how delicious Tynamo are, and there are many species who wouldn't mind dining on helpless Tynamo the moment you look away. It's happened more than it should, leaving a legacy of anguished trainers left with nothing but fish bones and shifty-eyed Purrloins.

Tynamo's very life depends on being able to trust its allies and to confidently stick close to them. Due to its nature Tynamo expects to be treated just like any other team member, and will not suspect treachery from within the group. So if Tynamo is placed on a team with impulsive meat-eaters, or perhaps decides to flee from them… either way it's doomed. Your only options are to either have a serious talk with your less-behaved about controlling their urges and run the risk of Tynamo getting devoured, or simply reconfigure your team so no one will prove to be a threat to Tynamo.

The second option is a huge hassle, since you're removing potentially multiple Pokémon out of your team just to fit Tynamo in. Furthermore that will cripple your team severely; now those competent Pokémon are gone, and Tynamo is much too pathetic to fill in for any of them. Thus, I would suggest going with option number one. Besides, then would be a good chance to sort out any Pokémon that have been acting up recently too!

**Warnings: **Physically touching Tynamo by surprise may prompt it to shock you out of self-defence. Tynamo is so weak that it won't cause severe damage, so this barely warrants as a valid warning.

**Summary: **Tynamo… Isn't a recommendable Pokémon. It's pathetically weak, difficult to care for, needs special circumstances to evolve, and is prone to spontaneously dying. It's actually seen as a challenge to catch and raise a Tynamo, as so many of them die under their trainer's care. Some trainers have reported that they became so frustrated taking care of Tynamo that they simply gave up and decided to cook the blasted thing.

Tynamo's evolved forms are much stronger than Tynamo and are certainly a credible threat. If you want a Pokémon that can actually fight, go after an Eelektrik or an Eelektross. If you want to have a tasty midsummer lunch, go to Chargestone Cave and get yourself some Tynamo!

**Next Time… Number 109 Eelektrik!**

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**A/N: If you haven't picked up on it, each species tends to have a 'focus' through their chapters. Klinklang's was the lack of emotion and compassion normally shared between Pokémon and trainer. For Tynamo and Co's chapters, the focus will be the Cycle Of Life and breeding patterns. That is, if I decide to continue.**

**The whole thing about eating Tynamo is based on Whitebait, which is a popular delicacy here in New Zealand. Have you heard of it? You might want to Google it, but be aware that New Zealand Whitebait is vastly different from British Whitebait. Tynamo also looks very much like Whitebait, which was the inspiration. **

**I like the squiggly yellow line on Tynamo's side. It reminds me of those nuclear radiation detector thingies. **


	121. 109 Eelektrik

**Edit: Due to a shift in Chapter numbers, anyone who has reviewed Tynamo's chapter cannot review this one. If you want to leave a review, please write it as a guest. Thanks!**

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**Number:** # 109

**Type: **Electric

**Species: **Electric Fish

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Shibibeel

**Human Friendship Level: **Low

**Description: **During the summertime, Unova's wilderness becomes a popular place to while your days away. The most popular places to go during a time where the sun swells and temperatures rise to ridiculous heights would be the numerous streams, rivers and creeks that snake their way throughout the region. In some of the more popular and accessible rivers you'll see dozens of families lining the shore, with stalls and carts selling foods and drinks further back; trying to milk the hot season as much as they can. This time is also a good opportunity for people to bond closer with their Pokémon in the water, trainers splashing around in the shallow water

Unfortunately for everyone, the waterways of Unova are the only place Eelektrik can call home. Summer also happens to be the time of year when Eelektrik are most active and prevalent, leading to many cases of people spotting one in the water and fleeing in panic. Or in rarer cases, the affected swimmers happen to have a Pokémon on hand and decide to attack, which only makes the situation worse.

At the end of their first winter the little Tynamo abandon the caverns that have kept them safe up until now, and gently find their way to the nearest waterway, which is usually Lugia's Wings. Once they are comfortable and settled within this new biome, they await the moment where they finally evolve into their next form, Eelektrik. The Tynamo's body is required to be submerged into fresh, flowing water for evolution the evolution process to be survivable. Some lazy trainers who didn't want to go out to nature to let their Tynamo evolve instead threw them in pools or fishbowls in the hopes that it would suffice, but all they got was a dead Tynamo floating forlornly on the surface.

The Tynamo don't actually have a choice in doing this; even if they're happier staying as Tynamo snug in their cave, they are forced into following this rite of evolution. That's because unlike most Pokémon, who evolve when they are ready to do so, Tynamo's evolution is triggered by their circadian rhythm – their internal body clock. Their body instinctually knows when it is time to evolve, and will try to initiate the evolutionary process whether Tynamo is ready or not. It's a race against time for Tynamo to save its own life, in order for it to progress.

Now, besides Basculin and Eelektrik there are very few fresh water Pokémon that inhabit our waterways. It's true that Marill, Buizel and even the occasional Vaporeon have taken residence here, but their numbers are small and have little effect on the ecosystem. You could say that our waters truly belong to Basculin and Eelektrik only, and anyone else hiding in the shimmering blue is there because they have been given permission to do so.

Even though Eelektrik are stronger and have a huge typing advantage, the Basculin are simply too thick in number and too aggressive and persistent for the Eelektrik to handle on their own. As a result of this, the Basculin are in complete domination of the water, and the Eelektrik have no choice but to stay out of their way. It would seem that some legendary took pity on Eelektrik's plight, for there is one place where Eelektrik can rest without worrying about the Basculin menace, and that would be right under our noses.

Basculin are extremely aggressive and territorial, and will attack anyone who enters their waters, including humans.

But like all Pokémon who are willing to kill humans, they know the dangerous consequences that can incur. You see, even wild Pokémon understand that killing humans and killing wild Pokémon are two very different things. If you kill a wild Pokémon, then very little will come of it. At worst, you'll have vengeful family and friends to take care of. But eventually the tension ill die down and the wild will return to normal as always.

But killing a human is not so easy. If you're going to try and get away with it, you need to conceal the body as best as you can and distance yourself from the crime. Once people realise the person has gone missing, more of them come to search for the victim. And if you attack them or they link you with the death, then even more humans will come even if those ones are slain. The more humans you fight and kill, the more infamous you become, and in return only more humans come to take you down.

You see? The Pokémon understand very well. Killing a fellow Pokémon has few consequences; but kill a human, and more and more of them will come until you are overwhelmed. Even a savage Hydreigon can't hold up against a whole Spec Ops team and their highly trained Pokémon. You could compare it to a zombie apocalypse. The more effort and noise you make to kill just a few zombies will only draw the attention of more, which in turn will spur a whole horde upon your sorry ass. Just like zombies, humans are a relentless, determined mass which take brutal revenge for their fallen.

Knowing this, the Basculin try very hard to stay away from human dominated waters, taking refuge in the lesser visited waters at higher altitudes such as those rivers coming down from Twist Mountain. The waters that Basculin shirk from are where the Eelektross thrive in number and in health. If there's no one else to compete for resources with, then success is a guarantee. But even though Eelektrik has found a place to keep safe from its nemesis, it has inevitably found itself tangled up in conflict with another foe; us.

Humans are certainly the worst enemy a Pokémon species can have, and I'm sure Terrakion would back me up on that if he could fit his chubby ass into my lab. _(Whoops! I'm starting to sound like that little brat. I hope his attitude isn't getting into my head…)_

In terms of physical appearance, Eelektrik is one Pokémon that makes girls scream when they see it in the water next to them. Its long slithery body, its glazed, beady eyes, and its gaping toothy maw would be enough to make anyone panic in terror. Plus the way it snakes its way across the bottom of the river is considered a little disturbing; they usually swim on their side, with one eye gazing up out of the water. I've never been fond of swimming; but Eelektrik makes me want to stay even further away from water.

Contrary to popular belief Eelektrik can easily come out of the water and manage on its own; its ability _is _Levitate after all. But out of water Eelektrik gets dehydrated and exhausted very quickly, so they prefer to remain where they should be. The only time they will exit water is if there is no other choice but to do so, or if they are hunting for prey nearby the shore. The hardest part of owning an Eelektrik is keeping it hydrated, as even when it's in its pokeball it can get worn out. It's a shame there aren't pokeballs with water inside them…

**Personality: **Since they become much stronger after evolving, many Pokémon let this new surge of Power straight to their head, and promptly start acting confidence or even arrogance. Considering the massive power gap between Tynamo and Eelektrik, you'd think they would be the most heavily affected out of this. In that case, you thought wrong.

Being stronger doesn't necessarily mean that life is any easier for you. Even when your strength lets you overcome issues that stumped you earlier, there are many more hazards that only manifest themselves once you've superseded whatever was separating you and those new issues. For example, while Tynamo's life was restricted to Chargestone Cave, and there was constant pressure to stick with the group, so long as Tynamo kept up it would survive just fine.

But in exchange of power and the ability to deal with enemies, Eelektrik has now been forced out of its haven, is forced to live in an even tougher, cramped habitat, it must hunt and eat others to live, and must contest with both humans and other Pokémon invading its territory. And to top it all off it can no longer rely on the help of its allies; as they are now spread far and wide across all of Unova, and not all of them would have survived up until now anyway.

Due to all of these issues, Eelektrik are actually a very timid and flighty species, hiding in the riverbanks or under rocks whenever someone passes by, they are almost always in stealth mode. With their one eye glancing upwards as they sneakily made their way down stream, they continuously watch for any movement on the ground above, the ever-present threat of imminent assault ensuring that they always remain alert. This increased alertness is a highly useful perk to have developed however, as not only does it aid in detecting and evading enemies, but it helps them spot any unsuspecting Pokémon which they can lash out and drag into the water, so they make electrocute it and then consume it ease.

Their tendency to flee, their glazed expression, their habit of aimlessly wandering streams, all these things would indicate that Eelektrik is a cowardly and unintelligent Pokémon, but the exact opposite is true. They only flee when they know the enemy is too strong to defeat, or that even victory will cost them severely. The reason you see the Eelektrik always fleeing from you is because they know that even if they kill you, there will be people who will notice your lack of presence and thus investigate. If they knew for sure that no-one would look for you, then some Eelektrik would be inclined attack you immediately without mercy. That is, unless you had prevailing Pokémon on hand at the time.

Eelektrik have very short attention spans and are observed to constantly flit out in the water, examining anything unusual that floats its way down the current. I don't blame them, rivers and creeks must be very boring places to live, there's almost nothing stimulating to do! Because of this, even though they know it might make life even harder for them, many Eelektrik secretly hope to be caught and trained by a human. So long as their trainer keeps them fed and hydrated, the Eelektrik can experience so much more in life then they would squatting in the water like that. But they would never dare approach a human, as there's a fairly high chance that you would rather cook and eat it rather than train it, and Eelektrik has no interest in running that risk.

They will happily kill and eat any Pokémon that they can drag into the water regardless of species, and if cornered will turn the waters they live in a dark red as they fight their assailants with every fibre of their serpentine bodies and it is this behaviour that leads people to believe that Eelektrik are a savage and brutal species of Pokémon. But truthfully Eelektrik are a very peaceable species and only fight when they need food, or to defend themselves of their territory from attack.

So long as you aren't actively trying to hurt Eelektrik or damage its home then they will pose no danger to you at all. In fact, while Eelektrik always shy away from our kind initially, if one person frequently visits the same area in a regular basis, then the Eelektrik will grow used to their presence and will not mind revealing themselves. If you're really lucky, they may start swimming around your ankles and playing with you. Even though they're frightened of outside influences and inclined to act on their predatory instincts, their lack of entertainment and curiosity compels them to become very jolly and playful when they are presented with the prospect.

When they are forced into fighting they end up being very savage and relentless indeed. Even when the foe is defeated, they won't stop attack until it is dead, usually with numerous broken bones and electricity burns. If you enrage them, they won't stop pursuing you until you're far out of their territory, and even then they may wait around to see if you'll come back. It is believed that they are aware that we cook them into meals, and the fear of that humiliating prospect is what compels them to be so brutal. Being killed sucks. Being cooked up and eaten rubs it in even worse.

Domestic Eelektrik that evolved with the aid of their trainer won't have the opportunity to experience the hardship their wild brethren face, so they are not as cowardly or stealthy in comparison. However they still remain aware of their feebleness external to water, so they put priority on taking enemies down tactfully.

**Lifespan: **Unlike Tynamo, Eelektrik's current form isn't intended to be a temporary form. In fact, it may supposed to be its _final _form, disregarding Eelektross completely.

This is because Eelektrik evolves when exposed to a Thunderstone. Thunderstones are a rare type of electromagnetic crystal, which are formed when lightning strikes a place rich in appropriate minerals. The high-voltage blast heats up and compacts the minerals, which absorb all of the electric power as they undergo their change. This creates a special crystal overflowing with the super-charged power of lighting within. You would think that they would name then Lightingstones, but no. Some dumbass obviously got lighting and thunder mixed up again. How do these kinds of people even get the option of naming stuff?

Twist Mountain's towering height readily attracts the attention of lightning storms; and it's rocky terrain is full of the minerals required for a Lightning Stone to be created. This results in a few hundreds of Lightning Stones being produced on the slopes of the mountain alone. When it rains, many of these crystals get caught up in the running water and are carried down the mountainside and into the waterways adorning its base. While most of them remain here, quite a few end up traveling further downstream, sometimes even reaching the sea. It is when an Eelektrik comes across one of these crystals that it evolves into its final possible form Eelektross.

Now the question is, is this evolution a part of nature's (or rather, Arceus') design? Or is it a freak mutation that has managed to become a standard part of life? I personally believe that it was part of Arceus' design, as that is what evidence indicates. The Eelektrik certainly recognize what it is and understand what it does, even without anyone informing them. This proves that their knowledge of Thunderstones is on an instinctual level. Plus they flock around the base of Twist Mountain after heavy rain storms, probably anticipating any Thunderstorms that may get caught up in the deluge.

Either way, it generally takes several years before an Eelektrik is fortunate enough to come across a Thunderstone; and it doesn't help that commercial industries harvest as many of the Thunderstones out of the mountain as they can. That Thunderstone you bought at the Pokémart for your Pikachu or Eevee might have helped a wild Eelektrik evolve if not for our interference.

Of course, if you want to evolve your own Eelektrik you're going to buy one anyway, so I guess you should be grateful. I don't think many trainers could be bothered climbing up Twist Mountain and deal with annoying Vanillite hordes just to evolve one Pokémon. Ten points for Gryff- I mean, ten points for commercialism!

Geez, I become really side-tracked again. Did I ramble this much before Juniper came along? I think I did. Anyway, my point for bringing up Thunderstones is that Eelektrik might not come across one, which brings it's lifespan to around 35 years of age, including the time it spent as a Tynamo.

**Diet: **Electricity just doesn't cut it anymore for this eel; it must now take a higher position in the food chain and kill other Pokémon for food.

Pokémon need water to live, and obviously the easiest place to get water in the wild is a river or stream. So naturally, many potential prey make their way towards Eelektrik, without it having to go to any effort at all. When it senses a prey, Eelektrik hides itself under the side banks and patiently waits for the right time to strike. At the right moment, it will leap out of the water at strike the prey with a stunning move such as Thunderbolt or Acid Spray, before grabbing them and dragging them into the water. At that time, Eelektrik will coil itself around the victim's body and crush them, and in tandem with its bone-breaking strength it will shock them with the several electric organs gilding its sides.

Normally it isn't Eelektrik's strength or its electricity which kills the prey. In general, those attempts are simply to subdue the prey until it drowns, usually going unconscious first. Once its foe has drowned, Eelektrik will drag the body elsewhere where it can eat without being disturbed.

Inevitably you are going to have to frequently let Eelektrik out of its Pokeball to swim around for intervals, during which time Eelektrik will hunt for its own food. Plenty of weak Pokémon such as Patrat and Purrloin stop to drink at streams, and Eelektrik should manage to claim a few meals in less than ten minutes. So long as you take good care of Eelektrik and let it swim on its own accord, feeding it shouldn't be an issue.

If you can't afford to let it swim as often as it should, or you are worried that Eelektrik isn't getting enough food on its own, you can purchase raw meat at a butcher's shop or ask any other of your carnivorous Pokémon to catch some meals for Eelektrik. A Pokémon around Purrloin or Minccino's size would be sufficient for one meal.

**How To Bond: **Wild Eelektrik are considerably wary or humans; and for good reason too. While much rarer and harder to obtain than Tynamo, Eelektrik is still a delicacy that people will pay fair amounts of money to eat. It's nutritious, delicious, and there's enough meat on an Eelektrik to feed quite a few people, meaning that it is a good dish to cook. The Eelektrik themselves seem to have figured that out, so they know well enough to stay away from humans when we go near the water.

Due to that, developing a trusting relationship with such a Pokémon is incredibly hard; and it's made even worse once you've caught it in a Pokeball. Once it's in a Pokeball, it's going to assume that you're storing it for later consumption and will resign itself to that fate. But when you let it out again, it's going to fight mindlessly to get away. In such difficult circumstances you're going to have to force Eelektrik into trusting you, otherwise facing death.

When you let Eelektrik out for the first time, have it in a place where it cannot escape, nor can it reach you. You need to have a water source like a tap and a bucket nearby, plus I suggest having a larger body of water like a pool too where you can take it later too. It will be startled and agitated, and you should expect no less from a Pokémon in such circumstances. Try calmly talking to it, in a manner which suggests you are friendly and not hostile. So long as there is nothing else it can focus it, it will eventually be driven to your words.

When you've got its attention, try introducing yourself, talk about what you do and why you do it, your dreams and ambitions. It may in interest Eelektrik at all, but at the very least you will make it evident that you are not interested in eating it. If you were, then it certainly wouldn't be alive to hear you yammer on. Try addressing Eelektrik too, even if it can't answer you should ask it about its life, where it lived as so on. Really, you're just buying time for the next phase.

As you continue to talk, the effects of dehydration will begin to take their toll of Eelektrik. You can tell when this is happening, as Eelektrik will begin to slump, its awareness of its surroundings will decrease, and even if you move towards it, it will not try and fight or resist. When you can see it exhibiting these signs, fill your bucket with water and pour it all over Eelektrik. It may not be enough to fully refresh it, but it will give Eelektrik enough energy to sit up and pay attention again.

By doing this, you are showing that you are not only peaceable, but you are concerned for Eelektrik's welfare. Through this method you're convincing Eelektrik that it can relax in your presence, and not only that, but it can rely on you when it needs help. That's the first and most important step to removing its doubt in you, replacing it with a sense of faith and dependability.

After wetting it a few times, inform Eelektrik of your intentions, of how you either want to have it as a friend, or as a member or your battle team (depending on what kind of trainer you are). Let Eelektrik mull over that for a while, before offering to put it in whatever secured body of water you've set aside so long as it agrees. If you've had it in there for at least an hour it will be very desperate to be able to swim around, so even if it's still uncertain it will be compelled to agree.

From then on, try convincing it to get in its Pokeball. The more it behaves the more rights you should give to it. Eventually it will learn that it can become a happy, thriving Pokémon so long as it does what you say. Your final ambition is to prove to Eelektrik that it is better off staying with you than in the wild. Sure it may have to fight for you, but it will not have to worry about being eaten by humans or Pokémon. And sure it can't spend as much time as it wants in the water, but by traveling with you it can explore rivers all across Unova and possibly even the world! Allowing Eelektrik to surpass its normal boundaries is a major bargaining chip you can use.

As this routine of gradual bonding proceeds, Eelektrik should eventually anticipate your visits and eagerly get into its Pokeball. From there on out, you can truly start treating Eelektrik like and friend, and it will do the same in return.

**Love:** Heh, I love it when an Eelektrik is inside me. Inside my stomach, that is. You obviously want Eelektrik inside you in a _different_ manner, don't you? I'm just kidding. But Eelektrik itself is going to be confused as to why you are romantically pursuing an eel when there are plenty of attractive humans and other various Pokémon species.

But whatever. I'm here to advise you, not judge you.

In the wild Eelektrik usually go through courting rituals such as intertwining each other's tails or lightly zapping each other, so Eelektrik isn't going to understand any of your human displays of affection. So don't try anything you won't normally try like kissing; it might think that you're trying to eat it!

I guess all you can do is admit your feelings and if Eelektrik accepts, you can gradually educate it on how humans and most Pokémon display affection. When it understands simple things like that, you can start doing them on a regular basis without worrying that it will misunderstand.

You have to be aware that Eelektrik aren't as affection or open with their feelings as we are. They treat relationships the way people did a few hundred years ago. With very little affection, and the matter is treated like a business-like affair. Don't misunderstand that your Eelektrik doesn't care about you, it simply doesn't behave the way you would expect of a normal partner.

**Battling: **While it is strong enough to fight on its own, Eelektrik still isn't a good Pokémon to use in battle. It because weak and exhausted when on land for too long, and in the water it is adapted to fleeing rather than fighting. Naturally, the only time Eelektrik actually fights is when it is stealthily taking down a prey by the shoreline. Pre-emptively attacking foes or partaking in organized battles is something completely alien to this species. Since it has the ability Levitate it needn't worry about the usually menacing Ground types, but its overall flaws prevent it from being too useful.

Thunderbolt is standard attack that Eelektrik can put to good use in any situation, but works better in close range. The further the attack has to travel to strike the foe, the more volts dissipate into the atmosphere as it moves along. If you can use it in close quarters, 100,000 volts will be enough to stun a sizable Pokémon.

Acid Spray is another move that, as you can guess, covers the enemy in a corrosive acid sprayed from Eelektrik's mouth. In some cases, the foe completely forgets about the battle and instead panics about being coated in such a dangerous substance, in which you can use such an advantageous situation to do even further damage, or even attempt to catch the foe if that is your intention.

But seriously, if you want to make a fully competent battler out of this Pokémon, then by a Thunderstone and evolve it into Eelektross. You won't have to worry about keeping it wet, and it will be able to cause complete destruction on the battlefield. Not to mention few will be able to land any damaging hits on it either.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **They shy away from other Pokémon, but seeing how they shy away from everything that shouldn't be surprising. They will be trying to spend as much time as they can in the water, and if any of your Pokémon follow them into the water, they will move as far away as possible. If you have any Pokémon that Eelektrik would normally eat such as Patrat it will refrain from eating them. But if Eelektrik goes hunting and returns with corpses of their fellow ilk… your Pokémon are going to either panic or have a fit. I don't blame their either; imagine if your Liepard dragged a human corpse into the house and started eating it. I'm sure you'd soil yourself in horror too.

Because of its antisocial mannerisms you other Pokémon will be inclined to stay away from and will have a distinct lack of interest in interacting with it. Even if it has no immediate repercussions such a vibe is not healthy for a team. It leads to xenophobia and an internal sense of 'them' and 'us'. Your team is supposed to work as one slick machine, so if all of the core pieces starting distrusting or avoiding each other, how is it supposed to function at all?

Yes, you can't afford to let Eelektrik isolate itself form the group like that. Instead, you're going to have to force it to stick with everyone else, whether it likes it or not. That may include locking it in a room with everybody else for a family game night or something like that. Get it fully involved, talking with the other Pokémon and see how things turn out. After all, Eelektrik is just shy and scared, it doesn't have anything against anybody, so once it becomes comfortable with the others it will gradually have no issue striking up a conversation on its own volition.

That being said, communication isn't a one-sided affair, your other Pokémon need to put some effort in too for it to work our properly. Beforehand have a word with your Pokémon, and plead them to try their best to be friendly and welcoming to Eelektrik once it perks up the courage to speak to them. A warm reception will spur it into opening itself up even further, but a cold shoulder will make it become even more of a hermit.

**Warnings: **Don't startle Eelektrik by touching it by surprise. The unexpected contact may be interpreted as an assault by an attacker, and Eelektrik will unleash an electrical counter-attack in retaliation. Direct contact like that will be enough to kill you instantly, your body beyond revival.

**Summary: **You're better off catching an Eelektrik than a Tynamo, but the benefits are mostly trivial. In addition to that there aren't many perks to owning on of these; it's not that useful in battle, puts pressure on you to constantly provide a source of deep water, and is not a Pokémon that you can befriend easily. My best advice would be to quickly buy a Thunderstone and evolve it up until its final form, where it will finally be the mighty creature it can be.

**Next Time… Number 110 Eelektross!**

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**A/N: Uwaa… Thank you for the kind words everybody! Really, thank you. ;_;**

**When I considered discontinuing the guide last chapter, I was expecting nothing more than a few 'fine, do whatever you want, fairy-hater' retorts. To see that everyone worked so hard to prevent this guide from stopping, even randoms that I've never seen before…It was really bad of me to give up not only on this story, but on my readers too. I didn't realise I had so many lovely people reading my story. 3 There's no way I can allow myself to disappoint this many people.**

**Although, quite a few people read this story in complete silence, leaving no trace of their existence. It's hard to determine how people like that are going to behave, especially when you don't even realise they exist. But I see that many of you are nice people, even when you lack a face.**

**Just so you know, I wasn't angry at any of my reviewers, you guys are awesome. I was angry at the Pokémon fandom in general, for being so fanboyish, arrogant and narrow-minded when it comes to defending the Fairy types. It's been happening since the Fairies were first announced and I've bitten my lip all the way up until now. Klinklang's chapter was the first time I even mentioned my thoughts on it, so when people reacted I kinda exploded in frustration. And most of you who apologized didn't even do anything wrong!**

**Now that the issue has been resolved I'm going to take down that Author's Note chapter, as it is no longer relevant and it wouldn't do any good if someone came across it later on and became confused. I guess I better remove this Author's Note in a week's time too. **

**Moving onto more normal topics, I just sat my end semester exams and I'm out of college for the next three weeks. Looking back on it, I realised how many retarted mistakes I made, for example I wrote the past tense negative form of ****おもしろい ****as ****おもしろいなかた ****instead of****おもしろくなかった****; and instead of ****週末 ****I wrote ****週木****. How pathetic…**

**Anyway, due to that, I'm going to have a lot more time to work on this guide so hopefully chapters will be uploaded at a quicker rate for a while. Beeheeyem's and the Litwick families chapters will be sinister and dark, and will possibly be the last sinister chapters for the whole story. That's a shame, as those chapters are always great.**

**Finally, there are a lot of distressed PMs I need to respond to, but for now I'm going to bed. This Author's Note is too long, and I've been at this computer for too long.**


	122. Celebrity Spotlight - Champion Iris

**Name: **Iris

**Japanese Name: **Iris

**Typing Specialty: **Predominantly Dragons, but with other types mixed in too.

**Gender: **Female

**Description: **Everyone in Unova knew that Iris would one day supersede Alder and take his place as the Champion of Unova. Here and there across the region were cries of 'She might not want to be champion!' or 'Maybe Benga will catch up to her!', but deep down everyone knew that this fate had already been decided, it was just a matter of how and when. After all, the way Alder had been meticulous in raising and trainer her all those years, and the way her took a shining to her when he met her for the first time in Blackthorn City… Even a blind person could tell that Alder had seen something in her that convinced him that she was destined to be someone great… No one knows what he saw, but it must have been something truly great.

Iris's most earliest memories were playing in the sandbox with the other orphans at the Blackthorn Orphanage, the place where she was left by her parents when she was just a toddler. The orphanage holds no records or traces of who her parents where, they just left her in the waiting room and left silently. She has absolutely no recollection of her parents, or why they would leave her like that.

Despite being abandoned in cruel circumstances, Iris spent her childhood happily growing up in the orphanage, playing with all of the other enthusiastic children. Blackthorn Orphanage is very wealthy like the rest of the town and has amenities and features that few other orphanages could afford. Considering that her parents either didn't care enough or couldn't afford to take care of her, she was probably better off there.

Now, Johto is a very far away region, and due to that there is a good chance that you know nothing about Johto or Blackthorn City. In that case, Blackthorn City is sometimes called the Citadel Of Dragons, because its residents are predominantly fond of dragons and you can see their namesake wandering the streets freely. Unova's history is deeply intertwined with dragons, and Tengoku no ryū (天国の竜 in his native language) and the subsequent three dragons Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem he broke up into have had more influence on Unova than any other creature and as a result some foreign countries refer to us as the Land of Dragons. Because of that, Unovans and the people of Blackthorn sometimes argue over who is more suitable as a representative for Dragons.

Anyway, Blackthorn Orphanage had quite a few young Dragon types that the children could play and bond with, little cuties such as Dratini, Bagon, Axew, Gible, and even a resident Dragonite. For the few years she was there she developed an intimate bond with all of the Dragons, becoming much closer to them than any of the other children or even caretakers had managed to accomplish. Since then she boldly proclaimed that Dragons were the absolute best type of Pokémon, and that they were 'superior' to other types of Pokémon. Even then she wanted to become a Dragon Master, so she could make the entire world submit to the power of Dragons.

The Orphanage worked very hard to teach that all types were equal under the eyes of Arceus, but Iris would not have a bar of it. Her own passion for Dragons led her to despise two other types of Pokémon, Ice types and Fairy types.

Her hatred of Fairies comes from the fairytales the caretakers used to read to the children before bed. Fairy types have an advantage over Dragons; which are an otherwise very powerful race of Pokémon. Due to that, years ago people used to use Fairy types to aid them in eliminating evil or dangerous Dragons. Coincidentally many of these stories became popular fairytales which have been passed down since.

Hearing these stories of Dragons being felled by Fairies infuriated Iris, and she vowed to exterminate them when she became a Dragon Master, just the way they exterminated Dragons years ago. It's worth noting that due to her blind patriotism towards Dragons she overlooked or failed to notice a few important details. Firstly, Fairies and Dragons aren't at war nor do they hate each other like she believes; they are both impartial to each other and the Fairies only fought Dragons because they were instructed to do so by humans.

Secondly, type advantages do not equate to strength. Despite having an advantage type wise, very few Fairies have the power and stats to back it up, and as a result they are often defeated alongside any other Pokémon that pick fights with Dragons.

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**The Origin Of Dragons: **Yeah, I know it's bad of me to add a random subsection in the middle of another subsection, but I want to mention this but it has nothing to do with Iris. It's going in anyway.

It's worth noting that Arceus himself admitted that he designed the Dragon type to be superior to all other types, because they were supposed to act as law enforcers throughout the world. Dialga, Palkia and Giratina were the first living things Arceus ever created, and each of them had a secondary typing that represented ultimate power of the Universe. Because of their physical appearance, this type was later named as 'Dragon' by the first races of humans.

Millions of years later the Mew began evolving into many different species of Pokémon with varying types to match their surroundings. Seeing this, Arceus decided to bless some noble species of Pokémon with the ultimate power imbued from the Creation Trio, with the intention of making these species enforcers who would embody justice. But Pokémon will be Pokémon, and inevitably some of these species began abusing their power, one species going so far as to become part Dark type.

Due to that Arceus threw aside his intentions for Dragons; and instead created Cobalion to be the embodiment of justice. Ironically, Cobalion is not a Dragon type. Perhaps Arceus wanted to prove to the Dragons that they were no longer in his favour? Either way, Dragons settled into the world and became a part of it, just like any other type of Pokémon. Even so many people have come to respect worship Dragons for their mighty power, so they have somewhat become deified in the eyes of humanity. I wonder if Arceus facehoofed when he found that out…

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Ahem, moving back onto more relevant topics… Where was I? Oh yeah, Iris' hatred of Ice types.

Ice Path is the only method of getting into the City on land. The City has its own major airport and you can certainly fly there on your own Pokémon; but if you can't afford a plane ticket or do not own your own flying Pokémon, then Ice Path is your only choice. Now details are blurry, but reportedly on a field trip day Iris and the Orphanage's Dragonite wandered off into Ice Path and got into a fight with a Jynx. Even with its strength, the Dragonite was slain protecting Iris from attack. Before the Jynx could attack her as well a Pokémon Ranger showed up and scared it off, but the mental damage had already been inflicted on poor Iris.

Up until then, she had seen Dragons as an invincible race, able to stand up to even the mightiest of Pokémon without repercussion. To watch such a powerful Dragon be slain so easily… It did something really bad to her head. For a while she became reclusive, hiding away with the other Dragons, refusing to leave the Orphanage or play with the other children.

She was so distraught that she began building fantasies in her head to prevent herself from accepting reality. She told stories of how she came from a place called the Village Of Dragons, a place where Ice and Fairy types were outlawed, and Dragons roamed freely. Of course it was all a delusion inside her head, there never has been such a place. Thankfully she threw aside those fantasies later on, although sometimes she still absentmindedly talks about the Village Of Dragons, as though she has forgotten it doesn't exist. It has been speculated that ht eVillage Of Dragons is actually a subconscious state of mind where Iris can retreat to should she want to avoid anything horrible. In that time of insecurity a little Axew became her closest companion, that Axew being the same Haxorus she has as her best friend now.

That was when Alder came into town. He is a kind and generous man, and after hearing of the orphanage filled with misfortunate children, he decided to show off his own awesome Dragon; Druddigon. Seeing that Druddigon was enough to draw Iris from her huddle of protective Dragons; the first time in months. At that moment Alder immediately recognized her as someone who had truly bonded with Dragons, so he spoke with her, talking to her about all the amazing Dragons back n Unova. Hearing all those magical tales about Reshiram and Zekrom and all the other Dragon lore was enough to make Iris smile and laugh like she had never done before. A few weeks later Alder was overdue to return to Unova, and at that time Iris pleaded to come with him to our land. After recognizing her as a special girl he agreed to take her under his wing and allow her to become a powerful Dragon Master. As a sign of goodwill, the Orphanage let her take her best friend Axew on her adventures.

After coming back to Unova Alder immediately set her up with Drayden, informing her that this man was a Dragon Master, and that he had everything at his disposal to raise her into just what she wanted. She was sad to see Alder leave, but when her training with Drayden begun, she soon became so swept up in it she forgot everything else. To Drayden's' surprise, she became an astoundingly competent trainer the moment she learnt of how battles are conducted. All along she had the power and determination to command her Dragons to victory, and now that she had to knowledge to support it, she became an unstoppable force within months.

Draymen is an experienced battler who has fought in Pokémon battles for many years, and is considered to be the greatest Dragon trainer in Unova. Not only Unova, but the entire world was shocked when Iris easily took him down after only one year of training. It was at that point that people world-wide began recognizing Iris as someone who was truly spectacular. Someone who was worthy of taking Alder's place as Unova Champion.

**Personality: **She is undeniably a tomboy. Even as a child back at the orphanage she used to leap around and play on the Mankey-bars, and keeping her to sit still during events such as mealtimes and storytime was a real chore. If forced to sit too long, she would up and wander off in search of something more adventurous.

Even after moving to Unova her adventurous and spirited attitude only grew stronger. The more she trained with Drayden, the less she needed to rely on him for guidance and support. That meant there was more time for her to go out and explore this brand new region. She got into much mischief running all over the place, and quickly came to love the forests. Her special connection with Pokémon allowed her to quickly befriend the forest residents as she swung along vines and slept in trees. Heck, she even does it to this day when she takes breaks from being Champion!

In combination with that, she has a strange attitude about womanly things. She insists that she dislikes girly clothing on the account that they make it hard to run around swing around and thus she prefers to wear unisexual clothing. However when Drayden gave her the dress he had made to celebrate her becoming the Champion, she cried because of happiness and wears it proudly whenever she can. In addition to that, she will wear dresses if she knows it will make people call her pretty.

Furthermore, she claims she has no interest in 'stupid boys' and never wants to go out with one. For quite a while this led people to believe she was a lesbian; but that was disproven years ago when she admitted that she had fallen in love with that mysterious boy that saved Unova from Team Plasma's invasion. Apparently when he left with Zekrom to explore the world, she was very upset. She also starting hitting on Nate, when he too rescued Unova from Team Plasma two years after that. It's been speculated that she feels insecure about her own appearances and believes that boys will find her unattractive, and thus she tries to act as though she doesn't care about boys in return. Any boy will agree that makes it more difficult to get to them…

She has a very short temper, a tendency to do things impulsively, and acts on her own discretion. To make it worse, she takes things personally and is slow to forgive. Even if you say something as simple as 'I don't like Dragons' she will assume you are personally attacking her; and thus she will yell angrily and refuse to speak to you for quite some time, especially if you're a boy.

She is very feisty and competitive and will happily battle anyone who asks. She will even agree to battle amateur trainers on the street if asked, although of course everyone gets beaten easily. Even if she were beaten nothing would come of it, as the victor would need to challenge the Elite Four first. If she sees Pokémon abuse, she will proceed to verbally berate to bad trainer in question, and in the past she has personally dragged abuse trainers to the police to have their trainer licence revoked. Even big muscly men have been afraid of her at that point, or maybe it was the hulking Haxorus behind her that was growling angrily.

But despite all of her drawbacks she has an earnest heart of gold and any flaws that she has pale in comparison to the kind, caring, friendly person she is. Many former champions or people of power act with a holier-than-thou attitude, letting their position make their egos swell to an obnoxious degree. But Iris holds no distinction between herself and the people of Unova, and as such she treats them equally. She often wanders the streets of various cities, talking to people casually as if she weren't the strongest trainer in Unova. Such an attitude has made her very popular with the people of Unova.

**Battling: **She is the Champion of Unova. Even Alder has admitted that he struggles to beat in matches now. Even if you make it past the Elite Four, the toughest trainers in Unova, there is no chance that you can beat her in a battle. Even Nate, the boy who singlehandedly defeated Ghetsis and set Kyurem free four years ago, was taken down by her Haxorus. I swear that monster is abnormally powerful, even for a Dragon. As you'd expect people have built teams out of only Ice and Fairy types with the intent of using their type advantage; but seeing these types of Pokémon only mad Iris _mad_, upon which she commanded her Haxorus to 'smash them without mercy'.

If not even the strongest of trainers in this region can stand up to her, then there is absolutely no way you could come close to beating her. The only way you could beat her was if you enlisted the help of a legendary, which is even more unlikely to occur.

I know it's every kid's dream to become the Champion, but realistically the chances of you being strong enough are next to none. I suggest you aim a little lower and start with the Gym Leaders before you consider such outlandish dreams.

**With Pokémon: **She loves her Pokémon much more than anyone else in the world. She loves Alder and Drayden and refers to them as Daddy and Grandpa respectively, but her Pokémon take top priority in her heart. She refuses to go anywhere without her pokeballs, and even then she prefers it when all of her Pokémon are outside their balls with her. It may mean she causes inconvenience to other people, but she isn't concerned with that.

She does _not _take kindly to people who insult or criticize her Pokémon. If you have your own Pokémon, expect to be attacked. If you don't have any Pokémon, she will concede to berate you and then make you apologize to her Pokémon in person. She will do this for even slight things, and comically her Pokémon will stand in the background smiling sheepishly, with a look of apology on their face. Poor Haxorus usually takes the role of apologizing to the poor souls who have inflicted his master's wrath.

Or course, the Pokémon she loves most is the Haxorus that has remained with her since she was just a baby at the Orphanage. He has been with her all her life up until now, and the two are as close as a human and Pokémon can get. From the way the two of them interact people have gotten the impression that she is reading his thoughts, however she has simply been with him long enough to understand him thoroughly.

On one or two occasions she has jokingly referred to Haxorus as her boyfriend, causing him much embarrassment. Later on she admitted that she was drunk at the time and insisted she doesn't have any sexual attraction to her draconian companion. That hasn't stopped the billions of shipping stories, fanart and gossip to come flooding in. Poor Haxorus, he's one of the strongest non-legendry Pokémon in Unova and no-one takes him seriously.

**Next Celebrity Spotlight… Colress!**

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**A/N: Sometimes I forget about Celebrity Spotlights until the last minute, this being an example. I find it amusing that after all these years of Ash trying to become a Pokémon Master, Iris becomes one in a single generation. Ooooh, someone hand Ash a burn heal!**

**Here's a little side-information and a free Japanese lesson: Tengoku no ryū (****天国の竜 ****in Japanese) is the name I decided to use for the name of the Dragon who broke up into the three Unova Dragons. Japanese seemed more suitable, as an English name doesn't really suit an ancient Dragon, much less one based on Asian mythology. It literally means 'Dragon of Heaven'. ****天 ****means heaven as a concept, and ****国 ****means country. So, ****天国 ****is referring to Heaven as a literal place, rather than just a concept. ****の ****doesn't really exist in the English language, but with its most common usage it can be compared to an 's or 'of'. In this case, Dragon **_**of**_ **Heaven. ****竜 ****literally mean dragon. No surprise there. **

**Normally I only use Game and Manga canon, and disregard the Anime entirely. But for just this once, I decided to let just a little trickle through. In the games her Haxorus is female, but the Haxorus mentioned in the canon of my series is based on the Axew she has in the Anime, and thus is male. **

**In addition to that, I didn't like the concept of the Village Of Dragons, so I decided to go with the Manga canon, where she comes from Blackthorn City. Considering I haven't read enough of the manga series to get that far, I probably butchered it to hell. Pokémon Special fans are scary when angered. But since most people aren't familiar with the manga, I needed to mention the Village Of Dragons anyway, even if it is just a delusion in Iris' head. **

**If you want to be really anal about which canon I'm using and such, I'll admit that this guide (along with **_**every **_**other Pokémon story I've written/will write) takes place in a Multiverse composed of countless, countless timelines. For example, Professor Fuhri exists in this timeline, but there are plenty of timelines where he does not exist. The timelines where the anime, games, movies and manga take place being examples of timelines where he doesn't exist. **

**To extend from that, the timeline this guide takes place in is one where Iris comes from Blackthorn City. Who knows? Maybe the Village Of Dragons **_**is **_**supposed to exist, but whoever was supposed to create it the way they did in other timelines failed to do so in this timeline. **

**I usually keep all of the timeline stuff to my head, because it has a habit of confusing my readers until their eyes bleed. But I will mention this; I **_**will **_**write other stories mentioning Professor Fuhri or having him as a character, but they will take place in different timelines. There are timelines where Professor Fuhri never wrote the guide, and there are timelines where he saved Mienfoo from being killed. Personally, I'd like to feature a story where he continues his journey with Mienfoo, but I don't have enough time to write any extra stories right now. **

**My notes tend to get rather long, don't they? It doesn't matter though, no one's forcing you to read this far. Most of you probably had seizures and died the moment I mentioned timelines. But if you are reading this, you're awesome. **


	123. 110 Eelektross

**Number: **# 110

**Type: **Eeletric

**Species: **Electric Fish

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Shibirudon

**Human Friendship Level: **Extremely Low

**Description: **No one is exactly sure why Eelektross wasn't classified as a dangerous Pokémon, as it sure as hell is. Perhaps the sound of 'Dangerous Eight' didn't roll off the tongue as easily as 'Dangerous Seven', or maybe whoever was in charge at the Pokémon Taxonomy Department [PTD] at the time never witnessed the havoc a single Eelektross can wreak in a frighteningly short period of time.

A single title may not seem like much of a difference, but in reality it has a major effect of the public. Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Chandelure… No one ever dares to capture these Pokémon. Why? Because they have been classified as dangerous Pokémon, and through both the government and the media warnings have been issued warning people on the hazards that come with owning one of these monsters. Due to that the public is not only suspicious and fearful of these Pokémon (which, admittedly they should be) but those who dare capture these Pokémon are often treated with prejudice and discriminated by the rest of their settlement. It may seem cruel to attack someone based on what Pokémon they own; but think about it. How would you react if your neighbour brought a soul-devouring omnicidal Ghost into the neighbourhood? When you own a Pokémon, you have to think about the effects it's not only going to have on you, but the people around you too.

There are Pokémon out there that are just as dangerous as the ones classified as such, yet few people take them as seriously as the Dangerous Seven, and the only reason being that they haven't been informed of just how dangerous these Pokémon are. They're like diseases. Everyone's afraid of viruses such as Ebola and Anthrax, because we've seen what they can do. But are you familiar with Khourak virus? Or Encephalictic Paradium? Those diseases are just as deadly and are as well documented as Ebola and Anthrax, but because no one's made an effort to notify the public, no one takes them seriously.

Pokémon like Eelektross are the same. An Eelektross would happily crush your skull the way a Seismitoad would, but since nobody mentions that, it doesn't matter. If you were to try visiting a beach dominated by Eelektross the locals may warn you, but it would only be something along the lines of "Oh, stay away from there, that place is dangerous. Damn eels will rip ya head right off!" But ultimately no further effort would be made to stop you. I know myself, because Mienfoo and I came across one such beach when I was still a trainer. On the other hand, people will forcibly prevent you from visiting the swamplands where the Seismitoad live should they even suspect you of going there. The police might even scold you afterwards for risking your life like that.

Pokémon on the other hand know a dangerous Pokémon when they see one. They don't need be told by the media or government who to watch out for, they instinctually know which species have it in for you. That's the kind of understanding that Pokémon mutually share that us humans cannot comprehend. From my own viewpoint, you're better off trusting your Pokémon companions than human organizations.

Ahem, I rambled a little. The Dangerous Seven are split into two tiers; the first tier and second tier. The First tier is composed of Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Chandelure and Hydreigon. These four are the most evil and sadistic Pokémon that can be found in our region. The second tier is composed of Seismitoad, Scolipede and Krookodile. These three aren't 'inherently' evil like their fellow members, but are still highly aggressive and prove to be a lethal risk. The whole point of that massive ramble above is that Eelektross is just as dangerous as the second tier members and while it is not a member itself; you should treat it as such. With _extreme suspicion and caution!_ Hopefully once this guide is published people will become more aware of the situation. At the very least, I could rest easy knowing that I may have saved a few lives.

Now, moving onto Eelektross itself…

Those few Eelektrik that come across a Thunderstone usually evolve without intention to do so. Even though they recognize it and understand what it does, they don't actually understand how to invoke the evolutionary process. Due to their cruel and savage nature Eelektross are a hated not only by humans, but by nearly every 'benevolent' species of Pokémon; including Conkeldurr, Darmanitan, Zoroark, Swanna, Escavalier… The Sawsbuck in particular have a penchant for killing any newly evolved Eelektross they discover. Due to that, Eelektross can only survive in the ocean, so obviously the best method would be to take the stone to a river outlet and evolve there.

But what the Eelektrik don't realise is that simply touching the stone invokes the process of evolution. In doing this, the newly evolved Eelektross will find itself far from the refuge of the ocean. From now on, Eelektross is in a frantic race to reach the ocean before it is discovered by anyone hostile to its species. Eelektross is indeed a powerful species, but it cannot hold out against the hordes of angry Pokémon that will descend upon it in the name of justice.

To worsen this already grim debacle, weak, helpless Pokémon that usually find themselves as prey will take this precious opportunity to strike at their predators while they can. A documentary team managed to film a cluster of Patrat aid in the extermination of an Eelektross in Pinwheel Forest a few years back. I've watched the video myself, and I must admit that it was disturbing to see such normally fearful Pokémon become merciless in seconds. I suppose you could compare it to abused prisoners being presented with the opportunity to lash out at the guards.

In this endeavour Eelektross must use a combination of speed and stealth to reach the sea as quickly as possible, while avoiding detection by its numerous enemies. Neither speed nor stealth are this species' strengths, so apparently it is a humorous sight to see such a large, brutish Pokémon clumsily shamble down a stream in a panic, only to leap down and hide behind reeds as a Sawsbuck struts past. But even though Eelektross is a threat to our species, I can't help but feel sorry for it and its plight. It _does _have the right to live just like anyone else after all.

Once Eelektross reaches the sea, it is home free. It will certainly be exhausted from travelling so far in such strenuous circumstances, so it will plunge deep into the ocean to recuperate. This period of rest ranges from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how much it had to go through to reach this point. But once Eelektross is up and running again, rests such as that are far and few between. From now on out, Eelektross will be busy terrorising the rest of the world.

While there are plenty of fish out in the sea for Eelektross to kill and devour, it instead targets land-dwelling creatures only. I wonder why?

Karma doesn't exist. Cobalion himself admitted that karma is simply an invention of the human mind, so we can delude ourselves into thinking we live in a just and fair world. But if karma _did _exist, then this would be a prime example. Up until now this species has been cruelly persecuted by humans and Pokémon alike, hunted for food, for territory, or simply out of fear and spite. There is absolutely no wonder in Eelektross returning to the shore to wreak revenge on everyone that's picked on it until now.

This species haunts the beaches all over Unova. Undella Bay is the only place where Eelektross cannot go, due to the highly vigilant coast guard. If you visit any other beach or shore, you run the risk of being attacked by Eelektross. Even the Buizel and Floatzel, who normally reside on beaches, have been forced to move their habitat deeper inland where Eelektross cannot harm them.

Even with this constant threat hanging in the air, it is safe to play on any beach so long as you keep your distance from the water. If you're with a larger group of people and you all stick together with your Pokémon out and armed, then it should be okay to get into the water. Better yet, some Psychic species such as Gothitelle can detect life, in which case it will be able to inform you whether or not an Eelektross is lurking nearby.

Even with an enormous amount of preparation, I must warn you to _NEVER _play on the beach when it is foggy. Eelektross is a rather slow and lumbering Pokémon, so even when it does come onto shore to attack most people get away in time. But the fog provides Eelektross with cover so it get close enough to attack you without you being aware. Alternatively you could be a massive troll and get one of your Pokémon to use Defog, which would ruin Eelektross' chances of getting a meal.

Eelektross' body is incredibly thick and heavy yet sleek. It needs the slim design to easily and silently move through the water, and its bulky weight and thick flesh is required to keep it warm in the cold waters, as well as provide a perfect balance of defence and offence that Eelektross can utilize in battle. Even though these traits make it very lethal in the water, it makes it slow and hulking on shore. So when hunting for prey, Eelektross simply has to hope that the prey can't get away in time, or is stupid enough to attack Eelektross head on. But more often than not it must simply be content with seeing its prey run far away.

When the breeding season comes around every year, Eelektross are compelled to make the life-threatening journey to Lugia's Wings to breed and lay their eggs, before making the same hazardous journey back. While it is not compulsory, many Eelektross answer nature's call anyway, implying at the very least that they care about the welfare of their species. Of course going anywhere near Lugia's Wings during that time is suicidal.

**Personality: **They are downright brutal and completely apathetic, and I don't blame them. When the whole world steps down on you, there are only three possible outcomes. You either endure it and become a better person, you break down and die, or you become cold, cruel and heartless. Evidently Eelektross are strongly inclined to take the last option, especially when their final evolution gives them so much power they can abuse.

Really, this species is about as apathetic as it gets. Plenty of predatory species are above killing infants or those who can't defend themselves. Even the second tiers Seismitoad, Scolipede and Krookodile wouldn't hurt a child if they came across one. But regardless of age, race, gender, species or circumstance Eelektross will gladly tear you apart and swallow chunks of you whole, something that disturbs even the second tier Dangerous Seven. While they aren't inherently evil, I do believe the phrase 'even evil has standards' is applicable.

Due to this attitude, those who encounter an Eelektross are presented with only two options, fighting or fleeing. You can't talk your way out of the confrontation, and your pleas will fall upon deaf ears. Actually, Eelektross don't have ears, but if they did they would be deaf ones. So if you're going up against a wild Eelektross you better have some tough Pokémon on your side, and they better fight with every last bit of effort they can muster. Because if Eelektross takes you down, he won't be taking any prisoners. Fortunately we aren't the only ones who are enemies with Eelektross, and it's common for wild Pokémon to come to the aid of anyone under attack by an Eelektross.

While they aren't stupid, Eelektross aren't all that bright either. The only place you can be attacked by an Eelektross is of course the shore, because the sea is Eelektross' refuge in an otherwise inhospitable world. But even if all your Pokémon are defeated in battle by Eelektross, you can use a kiting tactic to draw Eelektross away from the water. As long as you're relatively fit you can easily outrun Eelektross for as long as you want.

This is where Eelektross' poor thinking skills come into play. No matter how far you go, so long as you remain in sight of Eelektross it will stubbornly pursue you across the landscape. If you're patient enough you can lead it into a habitat where other wild Pokémon will attack it, or even until you come across other trainers that will come to your aid. It will take a very long time before Eelektross realises in horror how far it is from the safety of the sea. You've effectively placed it back in the same scenario it faced when it first evolved into its final form.

To counter that previous statement, they have proven to be rather cunning at times. Knowing their own slowness, they will wait for people to draw closer before revealing their position. In other times, they will come upon shore a lie crumpled on the sand, giving the impression that they are injured or dead. When someone moves in for any purpose, Eelektross will leap up and kill them before they can even react. It's unsightly for a corpse to be on a recreational place like a beach, so inevitably someone _must _come to move it away. This is usually left up to the volunteers at the nearby beach club; which would explain why volunteers die more frequently than actual members. On a totally unrelated note, the Coast Guard and all beach clubs hire Grass types for security, due to their advantage over any sea-dwelling Pokémon. But Eelektross isn't even a Water type; making this precaution a waste of effort.

However this ploy leaves Eelektross vulnerable. If a more experienced trainer or Pokémon expert comes across Eelektross and recognises the ploy it is attempting, they will make efforts to kill it or fend it off before anyone less wise falls victim to the deceitful tactic. They usually do this by blocking off Eelektross' entry to the ocean before attacking it with full force. Once Eelektross realises it is losing a battle, it will flee to the water where it can recuperate and where its foes cannot chase it. Sometimes a weakened Eelektross will even ignore its attackers and run straight for the water.

Due to that, some Eelektross use a similar but smarter tactic. They will attack and injure a weaker Pokémon or human, and then drag the body close enough to the water, so that the incoming waves will lap over them. While the injured victim screams for help, Eelektross will move into deeper water and patiently wait for some unsuspecting hero to come along and attempt to rescue the first victim. And thus not only does Eelektross avoid exposing itself, it also scores two meals in one.

A few years back, a family held a family reunion on Pride Beach, just east of Nuvema Town. A group of several Eelektross injured a little 5 year old boy attending the reunion and placed his body near the water as they do. Hearing his screams of agony, the entire reunion got up and ran to his rescue. At that point, the Eelektross snuck in from the left and trapped the whole family between themselves and the ocean, leaving no place to run. Thirty-four men, women, children; silenced forever in just ten minutes.

Their intelligence can go even beyond that! When a trainer is slain, they usually rest in comfort knowing that any of their Pokémon still inside their Pokeballs are safe from danger. Someone will eventually come along and find them, or the seals will expire, setting the Pokémon free. But when an Eelektross kills a trainer, they take the Pokeballs into the ocean with them and move deep, deep underwater. They are smart enough to know how pokeballs operate, and thus they will let any Pokémon still inside the balls out, and attack them while they drown in shock. Not only is this a testament to how clever they can sometimes be, it gives s stark reminder of how ruthless these Pokémon truly are.

The general consensus is that Eelektross are overall dim-witted, but when it comes to hunting and catching prey they have amazingly clear insight and premeditation. Combined with a complete disregard for the life of anyone else but themselves, you have a truly terrifying predator.

On the other hand, your Eelektross is going to be completely different, if you caught it before it evolved, that is. The main reason wild Eelektross are so sadistic and jaded is because all their life they've suffered at the hands of everyone else, and now that the tables have turned they simply want to get their revenge. By capturing Tynamo/Eelektrik, you spared it from the crueller fate that it would have otherwise endured. So many people are eager to say that by catching a Pokémon we ruin its life. In cases like this it is quite the opposite.

Should your Eelektross ever meet a wild one, the emotions exchanged between the two will be those of melancholy. Rather than explain things directly, I like to write stories or situations that get the point across. Here is one that can explain this situation:

Imagine two boys growing up in an abusive orphanage. One is taking in by a loving family and raised to be a successful young man, the other grows up suffering throughout his entire childhood, becomes bitter and jaded, and becomes involved in criminal activity.

One day in the future, the two boys meet each other again. The adopted boy looks at the other with sympathy and pity. They could have grown up to be a wonderful person; but due to the cruelty and hatred found in this world they were warped into an evil person.

The corrupt orphan looks at the other with contempt laced with envy; but only because they realise that is how they could have been should someone have actually cared about them. But now it is too late and they have permanently become a public enemy.

The adopted orphan is your Eelektross, and the corrupted one is the wild Eelektross. Both had the potential to be honest, good Pokémon, but only one of them was rescued by you. Now the wild Eelektross is too far gone to be saved, and it can only glare with envious eyes as it sees you play happily with your Eelektross.

While wild Eelektross tend to be savage yet smart, domesticated Eelektross tend to be friendly yet dopey. If they were a character from a TV show, they would be the lovable, clumsy uncle that means well, but can't do anything right. Naturally this impression tricks many people into believing that _all _Eelektross are harmless, a fatal misconception.

**Lifespan: **Eelektross is actually an ancient fish, coming into existence several thousand years before the first humans were born from Mew's womb. Before humanity and numerous other Pokémon species came into existence Eelektross and its ilk fared pretty well with no humans to hunt them, and no Basculin to fight against. Of course that meant that there were fewer creatures for Eelektross to hunt, but that is a fair price to pay.

The point is, the longer a species is around for the longer their lifespan tends to become. For an ancient species such as Eelektrik, a lifespan of 250 years sounds fair.

Now, I can already hear the sounds of your brains whirring as you try to calculate how rapidly the Eelektross population is increasing, and how long it is going to be before their numbers will be big enough to overwhelm us. But worry not, they won't be overwhelming us anytime soon.

First of all, a large portion of Tynamo do not survive their first phase of life. If you visit Chargestone Cave shortly after winter has ended, you'll be met with the ghastly sight of countless Tynamo corpses littering the area, all of them not strong enough to make it to Lugia's Wings in time to evolve. After that, many Eelektrik are killed off one way or another during their stay in our waterways. Continuing on from that, very few Eelektrik find Thunderstones, and some of those that do are killed by humans and wild Pokémon before they make it to the beach.

To summarize, even though they have massive lifespans their numbers are kept thin due to numerous circumstances. The fact that their species hasn't gone extinct is quite surprising.

Inevitably your Eelektross will live long enough to witness your death. You're the person who has brought Eelektross this far, and you are probably the only person who will ever care about Eelektross. The loss of your life is going to _severely _damage Eelektross' morale and mentality. Once you're dead it will have no choice but join its wild brethren in the ocean, but it will lack the spirit to attack helpless people. In most cases tame Eelektross simply give up and die when their trainer does, even if they can live to see another century.

**Diet: **Literally anything that walks on land and is made of flesh. Eelektross will attack anything that wanders close to the water, but depending on which shores they live nearby that could be a very diverse spectrum. For example quite a lot of Unova's shore is directly attached to the forest, meaning Pokémon such as Deerling or Pansage may live close enough for Eelektross to attack.

But their prime target are humans as our higher intellect, advanced technology and friendly relations with wild Pokémon make us the most elusive and difficult of prey to take down. Also, the fact that we enjoy eating them and their ilk fills them with pure rage, the way we sit at tables and talk casually as we eat fried Tynamo looks like some sort of demonic scene through their eyes. Even your Eelektross will be incredibly disturbed by the scene, although it should be able to keep calm. Just keep it away from restaurants!

Your Eelektross is also a meat eater, and man can it eat! This species can devour huge quantities of meat and the average trainer can't afford to feed Eelektross. Your best option, despite it sounding horrifically cruel, is to assist Eelektross in taking down wild Pokémon so it may eat them at its own leisure. I admit that it sounds awful, but that's the only way you can afford to feed the beast. Besides, this is how things function in nature anyway. You always hear those hippies and Pokémon activists bleating about how hunting is wrong, but in reality if we don't hunt Pokémon, something else is inevitably going to eat them anyway. Despite the differences between us and Pokémon, we are still pinned somewhere on the food chain alongside every other species. Even Virizion agreed to that last time he spoke with humans.

So despite what you may think, killing Pokémon for food is something that has always occurred in nature, and always will. As civilised as we act, we are inevitably part of nature. So don't worry about any moral baggage that may be sitting on your shoulders and let Eelektross go wild on the wildlife. It will love you for it! Well, otherwise it will die. So you have the option of having a happy Eelektross or a dead one, your pick.

**How To Bond: **While extensive testing has indicated that years of kindness, generosity and selflessness can eventually convince a wild Eelektross to befriend a human, this species has been classified as 'unbondable' and should be treated as such. There no point in catching a wild Eelektross, as its going to try and kill you at every opportunity it can get. They show even more defiance and resilience that _Cofagrigus, _even _with _dampeners in effect. There are scare few species that have a stronger spirit than Eelektross, Hydreigon and Braviary being two examples.

On the opposite side of the coin tame Eelektross are extremely loyal to their trainers, to the point where they will lay down their life without considering otherwise if the need arises. Their way of thinking tends to go along these lines: "It is only because of my master that I have come this far, that I am not like my savage brethren. The life master has granted me… I will use it to serve my master as best I can."

So… Well done. You've made a noble steed out of sociopathic Pokémon. If it weren't for your skill in raising Eelektross, it could have been out there murdering people as you read this. Or it could have been killed. Or caught as an Eelektrik and fried up in some stew. Eelektrik itself understands all of the horrible fates you've spared it from, and it is loyally staying by your side until the end. I feel as if there's something almost romantic about the most sinister of Pokémon growing up to become the considerate through sheer acts of kindness.

**Love: **Loyalty often transcends into love, and this is the case for many species. For a few species, there is no difference between loyalty and love regarding human trainers. Lucario are the most endemic example of this, and this explains why most human-Lucario relations become romantic in nature…

Anyway, Eelektross is a species that can tell the difference but it doesn't really matter to them. They're loyal to you because they love you, and they love you because of how nicely you've treated them. If they weren't loyal to you, then they wouldn't love you. And if they didn't love you then they couldn't be loyal to you either. It's one of those Möbius strip mindscrews.

Of course, there is a difference between romantic love and comradely love. Eelektross is inclined to feel the second type of love, which can actually worsen the situation. For example if you asked your Eelektross 'do you love me?' it will eagerly reply with a yes. But should you proceed with something like 'no, do you _love _love me?' Eelektross will simply get confused. It can't understand why you're questioning its feelings for you in such a manner.

In a case like this it is better to be straightforward and admit what kind of love _you _have for Eelektross, namely, as a mate. That will get the point across to poor befuddled Eelektross. Relationships are a two-way street that require honesty on both ends to function efficiently; and sometimes you need to be honest about your own feelings before the person of your affection can understand. In some cultures it is _extremely _rude to ask what someone's name is before introducing yourself first. This is a similar situation, although Eelektross is going to be confused instead of offended.

So, yeah. Be honest and let Eelektross mull over it. In truth there is a fair chance that Eelektross has already been in love with you for some time; but because it views itself as a servant it will not act on such emotions. It will take a little honesty and a little prying to dig up the truth on how Eelektross feels.

But like I said, Eelektross doesn't treat loyalty and love as separate emotions. So even if Eelektross admits to being romantically interested in you, nothing will change.

**Battling: **Eelektross have the ability to deal lethal blows while soaking up attacks in return. Anyone who goes up against an Eelektross must know that keeping your distance is the most important thing you must do. So long as you stay out of its range you can gradually wear it down and then move in for the finishing move. If the Eelektross makes it to your Pokémon before then, then they are as good as dead. All Eelektross needs to do is get one good grip on your Pokémon, and they'll be travelling down it's gullet in bite sized pieces a second later.

Considering that Eelektross is fighting on your side, your main goal is to ensure that Eelektross can close in on the foe. In cramped places such as caves or buildings the battle leans in favour of Eelektross, but in open areas such as fields Eelektross is going to suffer. I strongly suggest that you teach it the TM Thunder Wave, which will inflict paralysis and allow it to close in on the foe while they are unable to get away. Ohoho, imagine the sheer terror gripping their minds as they lie there, watching Eelektross steadily draw itself closer and they can't do a thing about it.

Frustratingly evolution stones interfere with a Pokémon's ability to learn new moves, meaning that Eelektross is no longer capable of naturally learning new moves. If you're not happy with its current movepool, then you will have to their shell out your hard earned money on some TMs or rely on Eelektross' brute strength. Your only concern is making sure Eelektross gets close enough to the foe to actually deal damage. So long as you have that part down Eelektross will handle the rest. They also seem to enjoy the sound of breaking bones. Of course that is illegal in trainer battles, but when you're up against wild Pokémon you will often hear sickening snaps and crunches as Eelektross breaks each bone and stops to enjoy the sound of it.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **They are distrustful and suspicious of other species and the sentiment will be returned in kind. Eelektross is a universally hated species and it is extremely difficult to disperse such ingrained feelings. Any Pokémon raised alongside Eelektross when it was still a Tynamo/Eelektrik will be able to see past that barrier of hatred and recognize their old friend. That's a lovely thing I find in Pokémon raised by humans. Even if they're supposed to be afraid of or hate a specific species, if you raise them together as children they will happily be friends without realising they are supposed to hate each other. An exception of this is Zangoose and Seviper; those two will instinctually hate each other until the end of time.

And thus you needn't worry about how Eelektross is going to get along with your current Pokémon; they will accept each other just fine. Instead you should worry about the welfare of any newcomers that you've just caught. Eelektross don't like change and even a small addition to a Pokémon team often has a huge effect on the team as a whole. Due to that Eelektross tend to look down on newcomers in disdain and are more than happy to make the unwanted addition 'disappear' when no one is looking. Disappear into Eelektross' stomach, that is.

So be warned; anyone new to your team is it constant life-threatening danger so long as they are around Eelektross. Until that Electric Fish learns to accept them and recognize them as a living person, keep them as far away from each other as you can. I recommend you make it clear to Eelektross how angry you will be should it harm another member; its fear of upsetting you should keep it in check.

**Warnings: **It will never pose intentional harm (that is, unless you were insane enough to go and catch a _wild _one, in which case it will _always _pose intentional harm) but its heavy weight is quite a weapon and if you're not paying attention to where you're walking you might get your head knocked off by Eelektross accidentally swinging its arm. That would be more of an amusing injury though.

**Summary: **If caught and raised in a younger form, Eelektross can become a fantastic, strong and fervently loyal species that will serve you well until the end. And just think about it, one Eelektross that you take in is one potentially dangerous Eelektross away from the shore. You're doing everyone a favour by preventing Eelektross from growing up to be a hateful monster that preys on unsuspecting beachgoers.

But if you want an Eelektross, you're going to have to go after a Tynamo or Eelektrik first. Going after a wild Eelektross will only end in a grizzly fate, and you will become nothing more than a statistic alongside all the other trainers who decided to chase after lethal Pokémon.

Eelektross is the kind of Pokémon you have to raise from the ground up. That means not only do you have to face the hardships of taking care of an Eelektross, but the hardships of caring for an Eelektrik and potentially a Tynamo. It takes a lot of time and effort to obtain one of these beasts; but thought devotion and sheer power they can easily repay the debt.

**Next Time… Number 111 Elgyem!**

* * *

**A/N: From the start I intended for Eelektross to be a dangerous Pokémon, but this chapter was slightly darker than I had intended. Admittedly it's realistic for Eelektross to be an cruel killer.**

**Considering how N has that narrow-minded belief that all captured Pokémon suffer, I wonder how he would feel after being shown that Eelektross fare better off in the care of a human? He would probably be stunned into silence. **

**If Pokémon were a role-playing game such as Skyrim or Fallout, then Eelektross would be that one enemy that makes you go 'Oh, shit!' and run away as fast as you can. I actually wrote this chapter with Skyrim in mind, for some reason I don't know.**

**Have you all seen the new Pokémon, Hitots- Honedge? Isn't it wonderful? Ghost types always provide the most interesting of stories and already my head is bursting from all of the ideas and backplots I can include in Honedge's chapter when the time comes. Is the ghost a noble spirit of a fallen warrior, possessing his sword so that he may carry on justice after death? Or is it a malicious spirit of death, intent on using the sword for its intended purpose? Do Honedge like battles? Or have they seen the horrors of war that mortals cannot understand? Are they chivalrous, or callous and sadistic? So many options!**

**I'm tired, so I'm going to upload the chapter now and fix any mistakes tomorrow morning. Until then, please bear with them. **

**Oh, one last note. Anthrax and Ebola are real diseases. Khourak virus and Encephalictic Paradium are not.**


	124. 111 Elgyem

**Number: **# 111

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Cerebral – Brain

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Ligray

**Human Friendship Level: **High

**Description: **Pokémon are mysterious creatures. Even in an age where advanced technology and modern science allows us to study and document the world more thoroughly than ever before; there are countless mysteries surrounding Pokémon that have remained unsolved for millennia. I actually prefer it this way, how boring would the world be if everything was solved? If there was no reason to question this world and the mechanics making it tick?

Elgyem are one species in particular that remain surrounded in mystery. Granted they have been around for only a short period of time, but even so we should know more than what we do right now. It doesn't help that they actively avoid being detected and shy away from human contact. We can barely observe them in the wild at all!

The Unovan Desert is split into two sectors, with Route 4 running through the heart of them. Well, to be honest it sits mostly on the eastern half, so the western deserts can only be seen if you're willing to off-road it.

The Western deserts are typical of what you would imagine of a desert; a featureless, shifting wasteland of sand, the perfect place for a weary soul to perish and never be seen again. This is where the Desert Resort lies half buried, and many other small ruins can be found dotted around the landscape. Far, far away lies the region of Sunawyr; the region which Jirachi, Landorus and Meloetta originate from. This part of Unova replicates that arid region perfectly, to the point where Sunawyr refugees fleeing from the religious wars often take up refuge here despites its unforgiving nature.

The east of Route 4 is a different type of desert. It is a rocky terrain filled with hundreds of canyons and gullies. There is no sand to be found and precipitation is frequent, so flash floods can occur. It holds much more vegetation; most of it sparse trees and dead grasses. These deserts host a myriad of violent and dangerous Pokémon such as Krookodile, Scraggy and Bisharp. While the nature of this place is more forgiving, the Pokémon here are not. It is in the north-east of the desert where Elgyem first came into our world, and for a few months had the whole world's attention. No one knows for sure how exactly Elgyem made their way to our planet, but we know with certainty that they are extra-terrestrials. Due do Elgyem's own personal effort we have no other information regarding that.

Several kilometres east of Route 4 and 45 minutes' drive from Nimbasa City lies Sin Vida Town, the town where Elgyem's presence first became known. It's a small, dusty town filled with fearful, conservative residents; it would looks like a set right out of a Wild West movie. At two in the morning, 23rd September, 55 years ago, the residents of Sin Vida were woken by extremely bright lights and by the frenzied cries of panicking Pokémon. Looking back, people reported that Psychic types suffered crippling headaches that rendered them immobile. Buildings shook and windows broke, but apart from the cries of people and Pokémon there was total silence.

After only a few minutes of this trauma the lights and shaking died away, leaving no trace of having occurred at all. People timidly came out of their houses and began searching the area for whatever caused the chaos. Heading north, they came across a burnt landscape, and dozens of Elgyem wandering aimlessly around the area. There was no trace of a UFO or any other alien technology, apart from the burn marks on the ground and the Elgyem themselves there was no evidence to suggest they had come at all.

You know what? Screw it. Here it have an excerpt from the diary of an old lady who witnessed it herself. She died last year, and it was copied and distributed around the Scientific Community for analysis. It might be a little bad for me to include this here, but first-hand accounts often prove to be much more informative…

"_25__th__ September_

_Oh, it was terrible! There are still so many things scattered all over the floor I need to pick up. Curse Arceus for letting my back get out of shape like this!_

_The night before it happened I was at Margaret's house playing One's and Two's like we do every Tuesday night. As usual Henry was a cheating bastard and hid an ace under his sleeve, but this time Margaret caught him like a Servine in the grass! I'd had enough of him and his trickery, so I finished my scotch and went home for an early night. _

_I had barely slept for a few hours when a horrendous cacophony woke me up! Horrible, glaring lights flashing all sorts of colours were shining though the kitchen window, and all my little knick-knacks I bought from Donser's fell upon the floor and broke. Little Lillipup was yapping like a madman at the door, he's always been energetic but that time he seemed scared out of his wits! I had no idea what was going on, I thought we were under attack! So I tried shushing the little mutt, but he kept snarling way at whatever was outside. Somewhere out there I could hear Erschwit's Fraxure howling away, and I could hear Henry yelling at his wife to get out of bed._

_I believe it would have been around ten minutes before it all ended. Those lights -good gracious they were bright!- faded away, and Lillipup stopped his racket and came over to me shaking like a leaf. I could hear other people walking around outside with their flashlights, but there was no way I was going out there!_

_Margaret came knocking at the door, bringing Lucy and the children with her. Lucy was in a fit of things, spouting rot about the Scared Swordsmen starting another war- I had wanted to shake her! And the children- the poor dears, were staring around with wide eyes. I shudder to know what damage a horrible event like that would have on young minds!_

_It's been two days since then, and I've barely calmed my jangled nerves. Lots of city folk have come, saying something about a new species of Pokémon. But I'm not going out there again! I'm staying nice and safe inside my house, where Lillipup can protect me. I'll have Mark deliver the milk to the door-_

_Excerpt from Beatrice Halfer's Diary"_

Okay, perhaps that wasn't so helpful. But it was interesting to read, wasn't it? No? Whatever then. Be ungrateful.

As Beatrice described, scientists and news reporters from Nimbasa quickly showed up after the residents of Sin Vida called the police and the whole town and surrounding came under a lockdown in the hunt for the new species. Most of the Elgyem had fled deeper into the desert, but some remained behind. People tried catching them, but the Elgyem retaliated with powerful Psychic attacks and fled to join their brethren in the wilderness. It took months of searching to find the Elgyem again, and even then the scientists required that aid of other Psychic type Pokémon to convince the Elgyem that they were not going to be harmed. From then on out the Elgyem began to slowly open themselves up to humanity.

The Elgyem themselves refuse to provide any information on how they got here, but it is more than obvious that they came here in some sort of vessel. Where that vessel went after the Elgyem arrived is not known, but a popular theory is that their spacecraft turned invisible and may still be there. I personally don't believe in that theory however, it's too unlikely.

There are three other events surrounding Elgyem's appearance that made this a memorable event. Firstly, more groups of Elgyem began to up around the same area the first batch appeared in the following months, until their numbers exceeded 10,000 in number. These Elgyem showed up with absolutely no warning whatsoever, no lights, no burnt ground, no upset Pokémon. For a while people didn't even realise more were coming, all we knew was that their numbers were rapidly increasing; at a rate too quick to be blamed on breeding. How they managed to make it here quietly unlike their predecessors remains a mystery. Were they contacting their comrades in space telepathically?

The second event regarded other Psychics. When the Elgyem started showing up, the Munna and Musharna started sharing horrifying nightmares to anyone who slept nearby, the Woobat And Swoobat went berserk, the Sigilyph broke away from their normal patrols, the normally bubbly and cheery Reuniclus suddenly became grim and determined in nature, and Victini was sighted panicking. The Gothitelle, as you know, are another species that hail from the vast vestiges of space. Members of the Gothitelle family all across Unova began to behave erratically, communicating furiously with the stars as though they were sending distress signals. They discouraged their trainers from going near the desert, and when asked they merely responded that "The Banished Ones have arrived".

In other words, all the other Psychics went crazy the same time Elgyem showed up. Coincidence? Definitely not. And it wasn't limited to the Psychics either, the Zoroark completely locked up their villages and denied access to foreigners, the Lucario began to complain about something unknown, and the few Absol living in our region began to forcibly prevent people from going near the desert. The Claydol residing within Relic Castle attempted to kill anyone who approached the area. Furthermore, Mewtwo, Deoxys and Cresselia were seen discussing the matter in Sinnoh. The legendaries _never _speak to each other, especially reclusive ones such as Mewtwo and Deoxys. For them to take notice like that…

Never in the history of our world has a new species ever caused such a commotion. For the entire region to explode into panic like that indicates that Elgyem were not welcome on our planet, for whatever reason. And that is only the beginning too, more was yet to come. But I'll explain that in Beheeyem's chapter. Heheh…

The third event, which is as noteworthy, was that Uxie was sighted in the desert shortly after Elgyem's arrival. He was seen talking to them, as though he were lecturing them about something. Uxie goes to great effort to make sure humans do not sight him and in general avoids us as best as he can. The fact that not only did he come all the way to Unova just to see the Elgyem, but that he was content to reveal himself to humans for the sake of talking to the Elgyem is truly astounding. Whatever he had to say to Elgyem must have been of the most utmost importance.

Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf are the leaders of all Psychic types, and they make it their own personal job to make sure that all Psychics obey the laws that these three Guardians of Spirit lay down long ago. If anyone were to break these laws, these three legendaries would hunt them down and punish them severely.

This was the first time that Elgyem had ever been to Earth, implying that their ancestors had left Earth long ago, and then changed into Elgyem over time elsewhere. This is helped by the fact that the Gothitelle were the first to recognize the Elgyem, as though they had encountered their kind in space before. Because of that, the Elgyem wouldn't know about the laws that Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf had decreed. For now, we are certain that Uxie came here to warn Elgyem about the laws and the consequences of breaking them. Considering that Elgyem have abided by the Psychic laws, Uxie's effort was worth it.

Over time, the Elgyem have disappeared completely from the desert. In a place once overrun with them, not a single one can be found. This is because they have taken up residence in Celestial Tower and the area around it, a resting place for Pokémon both ancient and modern. In addition to that, it would seem that the Elgyem population had rapidly decreased, their numbers halved in three months. Where they went to, nobody knows. They haven't been seen anywhere else in the world, so it is safe to assume they returned to wherever they came from.

If you ever visit Celestial Tower, you might catch glimpses of the Elgyem watching you from the shadows. Who knows why they chose such a place, a memorial for the dead is a strange place indeed to make your home, let alone one infested with soul-sucking Litwick. The Litwick themselves were not happy about Elgyem's invasion and they fought hard to oust them, to no avail. Considering that they have a type advantage and superior numbers, Elgyem's victory is a testament to their strength.

Mind you, Celestial Tower is a peaceful, serene place. Unlike the hateful, warped Pokémon Tower in Kanto, this place is filled with happy spirits that have no malicious intent. Perhaps the Elgyem, being Psychics susceptible to emotions, enjoy the peaceful aura that fills that place? Mesprit herself once remarked that she sometimes visits that tower because it calms her soul.

Elgyem have large heads to accommodate their equally large brains, which is clearly the source of all their psychic power. Humans and most species of Pokémon can only access a small portion of their mind, the rest of it remaining completely inaccessible. Psychics both human and Pokémon are able to access some parts of the sealed away brain and this is what gives all of their mental powers. Elgyem are noteworthy for having nearly complete access to their while brain, an ability only shared with Reuniclus, Alakazam, and the legendary Psychics. Even though there are many Psychic types much stronger than Elgyem, they do not come close to being as mentally powerful as this little grey creature.

**Personality: **From the way everyone reacted to Elgyem's sudden appearance you would assume that they are a malicious, sadistic species. But really they are one of the kindest, caring, most considerate species you can find in our region. They're up there with Audino, Maractus and Alomomola in terms of goodwill and the desire to help others. So why are they so feared? You'll see next chapter.

Their most defining trait is their infusion of shyness and curiosity, which makes any sort of interaction with wild ones strained to say the least. The have an intense desire to play and interact with others, but their crippling shyness prevents them from approaching others. Just to the north-east of Celestial Tower is Fortitude Woods, an autumnal forest with many groves throughout it and Route 7 bordering the south. This is a very popular nature reserve and many people come here to play in nature, or rest after visiting the nearby tower. Here is also where the Elgyem make their home outside of Celestial Tower, as it is a quiet place with few other species of Pokémon.

You'll never notice them, but they are always watching the people who visit this place. At any given time, several Elgyem will be silently observing you and whatever you are doing. It sounds creepy, but they are simply curious and have no desire to hurt you. They actually enjoy having people to watch so they get very excited whenever someone decides to camp out or such. At night-time they are slightly bolder and will use the cover of night to come closer. Some people have even reported being awoken by Elgyem shuffling around outside their tents.

If sighted by anyone, the observing Elgyem will quickly retreat back into the wilderness and hide. Normally they will simply flee as fast as they can, but if attacked they may retaliate with Psychic attacks while they retreat. Thy do not like fighting and will only use force if they have no other choice. Even so, hurting others makes them feel sad.

The Elgyem have a habit of 'befriending' people they have been observing for some time. If you spend quite a few weeks in the presence of Elgyem they will gradually come to recognize you and take favour of you over other people they could potentially observe. They like learning about your life and what you like to do, treating you somewhat like a sitcom on TV. Even though you have no idea they're there, they pretend like you're a friend and want to treat you as such. It's believed that if you spend enough time out there, they will gradually get over their shyness and make their presence more known.

When caught by a human and taken to their home, the Elgyem will develop a huge attachment to that place and refuse to leave the location. They are content to live in the house for the rest of their life, but even mentioning going outside makes them edgy and despondent. This is a huge hassle for people who frequently travel as it means they will struggle to take their Elgyem anywhere unless they trick it. They are also highly protective of their home and its inhabitants and will defend it to the death. You could say Elgyem are like some elderly people; their house is their castle and they will defend it until death. That in tandem with their psychic abilities makes them very efficient security guards, as their headache inducing powers can subdue even the strongest of thieves who would otherwise infiltrate your house.

Like the Zoroark they take a strong interest in human technology and will collect whatever they can and examine it extensively for their own means. Dismantled or even _upgraded _cell phones, music players, radios and other bits and pieces of forgotten technology. Judging from the pieces of technology we've recovered, not only can the Elgyem easily figure out the functions of technological devices, they also know what makes them work and how to edit that. Some technology companies have caught Elgyem and requested them to help invent new pieces of technology but the Elgyem politely refused to comply. It seems they only enjoy tinkering on their own accord.

That being said, Elgyem often take their trainer's electronics and mess around for them for better or for worse. You may return home one day to find your TV broadcasting a hundred extra channels, or in a hundred pieces on the floor. This is because Elgyem struggle to understand the concept of ownership, and thus they do not realise they shouldn't be toying around with other people's things. It also means they steal from others without realising it's a bad thing to do. That's quite hypocritical of them; as they understand when _they're _being pilfered and are quite happy to obliterate anyone who dares steal from them. Maybe Elgyem has a bad case of stickyfingers, or pick-up-and-not-put-down. Or a really warped sense of entitlement. They're starting to sound like Juniper!

Their extremely powerful minds allow them to 'read' the emotions of other people and thus determine what kind of person they are. They can also read what disposition other have towards you. For example, say Elgyem sees a very happy, cheerful man. Even though he is displaying those emotions, all of the Pokémon following him are absolutely terrified even though they aren't displaying it. Elgyem can put two and two together and reach the conclusion that man is an abusive trainer of some sort. So while some other wild Pokémon may be convinced to approach this seemingly kind man, Elgyem will stay out of sight. If your Elgyem is fearful or suspicious of someone, you have every right to feel the same.

Elgyem have also shown to be extremely considerate for the welfare of others, even complete strangers. If a stranger comes under harm in any circumstances and Elgyem determines them to be a good person, it will be willing to reveal or even sacrifice itself for the sake of saving that person's life. If they manage to neutralize the threat and rescue the person in distress, the Elgyem usually render the person unconscious, before moving them somewhere safe. Some people have woken up on the outskirts of towns, remembering being attacked by a wild Pokémon, being rescued, and blacking out before they could identify their saviour. Even after that, the Elgyem may linger around just to make sure that the person is alright. In rare cases this may even lead to the Elgyem revealing itself to the person and becoming their Pokémon as a result.

**Lifespan: **Poor Elgyem. It may have a strong mind, but it's body is weak and frail and like most initial forms it isn't meant to last. Elgyem age quickly and die off at a very quick rate which prompts them to try and breed quickly to uphold to population. In general 42 years would be a proper lifespan for the average Elgyem.

Of course, there will eventually come a time when Elgyem is ready to evolve, and once that occurs it will have its life extended for another few decades. But knowing just _what_ they turn into when they evolve… They will resist evolution with all their might and try their best to die as an Elgyem. Poor little creatures…

**Diet: **If you actually bothered to look at an Elgyem, you would notice that it doesn't have a mouth or any other sort of orifice, besides genitalia. So what do you think it eats? That right, nothing! You're such a clever little reader, aren't you?

Elgyem show a huge amount of interest in other people eating, to the point where mealtimes are some sort of entertainment for them. Trainers have complained that their Elgyem sit there at the dinnertable every night and silently watch them eat their food, and it's reached the point where some people are too creeped out to eat properly anymore.

Furthermore, despite understanding that they lack a mouth to eat; sometimes Elgyem will try and put food where a mouth _should _belong, as though they are trying to emulate us. You might come home to find your Elgyem in the pantry with peanut butter or jam smeared all over its face, or hiding under your bed with a muffin or two.

Of course this means you will never have to worry about feeding Elgyem, because it doesn't eat anything to begin with. On an unrelated note, Elgyem cannot convey emotions with their face, such as smiling or frowning. Instead they project their emotions directly into your brain, giving you a much clearer idea of how Elgyem feels.

**How To Bond: **Elgyem will only reveal itself to people it recognizes as kind and caring. If you see an Elgyem, it wanted you to see it. Years ago they refused to show themselves to humans at all; but in recent times they've started to show themselves to good trainers and kind people. I think they've finally realised that there are some people in this world they can trust, and this is their way of showing that they acknowledge that.

So if you want to have the opportunity to catch an Elgyem, you (A.) Must be a person of high integrity and (B.) have loitered in and around Celestial and Fortitude Woods for quite some time. If you camp out at Fortitude Woods for a week and pay your respects at the tower and Elgyem is sure to pluck up the courage to reveal itself to you. At that time, you can send out your Pokémon to battle and Elgyem will gladly accept the challenge. They treat battles fairly and will nobly accept defeat if captured, even if they change their mind about wanting to have a trainer.

For most Pokémon you must try and earn their trust shortly after capturing them; but since trust is a prerequisite condition for Elgyem to be caught it is the other way around. Thus this first step may be skipped as Elgyem already trusts you enough to follow you anywhere. Isn't that a wonderful blessing?

The next step of course is making a friend out of Elgyem. This species is quiet, timid and easily startled, so acting boisterously is going to upset the poor thing and make it less willing to listen to you. Instead, you should try speaking and acting friendly but calmly towards the Pokémon. Giving it a little personal space and privacy is also a vital to a healthy relationship. Your goal is to set a distance between you and Elgyem, and instead of ushering it over give it the chance to approach you on its own volition.

For example, when you get home you could place Elgyem in the living room, and then go into the kitchen and start preparing a meal. Elgyem might choose to stay in the other room, but if it likes you enough it will follow you to see what you are doing. Then that gives you the opportunity to greet Elgyem and start a conversation. Through this method you're informing Elgyem that nothing is being forced upon it, and that it can make its own choices. Being considerate enough to present opportunities to your Pokémon like that is the mark of a fantastic trainer.

Elgyem crave positive emotions, so if you're in a good mood Elgyem will want to hang around you more often. This is why Elgyem trainers always seem to be perky people, because the Elgyem naturally flock to people like that. I'm not asking you to swallow happy pills every hour, I'm just saying that you should reflect on how you are feeling, and try improving that if you can. It's hard to stay positive, specifically if you suffer from depression, but doing your best to keep your spirits up is healthy for both you and Elgyem.

On the other hand being angry makes Elgyem terrified, and being sad makes Elgyem concerned for your welfare. If you become pissed off or feel your temper rising you need to put some distance between you and Elgyem immediately. Even if you don't physically display it Elgyem will pick up on your emotions more strongly than you can express in words. Words are useful for describing things, but even they cannot express the way pure emotion can.

Their trusting and loyal disposition makes them the kind of Pokémon that is easy to bond with and share a close relationship with. It's not hard to make friends with and Elgyem, but you will be tested to uphold that bond as time progresses.

**Love: **The irritating part about owning an Elgyem is that you can't hide your feelings from it. If you have a crush on someone, Elgyem will know. If you murdered someone, Elgyem will know. If you crap yourself, Elgyem will know.

As distressing as that sounds, Elgyem is trustworthy enough to never tell a soul. But even so, it is very awkward when someone knows all your dirty little secrets like that. You could say that Elgyem is your black box of dirty little secrets; but instead of putting them in there on pieces of paper, Elgyem automatically records them. Ugh, I hate the sound of it.

The point being, Elgyem will already know how you feel about it. And put it this way, if you actively sought out an Elgyem because you wanted one as a mate, then Elgyem would have known that from the very beginning and chose to reveal itself anyway, which hints that it is quite happy being in that kind of relationship with you. So gratz! You've probably got Elgyem wrapped up all along, and you didn't even realise it.

If you feel compelled to lie to Elgyem about how you feel, don't bother. It will see though your deception immediately and will become angry, hurt or upset. It's awful to find out that someone you care about has lied to you, but its' even worse when they lie straight to your face like that. Since your heart has been in clear sight all along, your only real option is to be honest and let Elgyem deal with it. At the very least you can rest easy knowing that it will never laugh or scold you for being attracted to it, unlike some people…

That being said, Elgyem have a very poor understanding of romance. They simply don't get things like hugging or kissing or intimacy in general. They are happy with simply being by your side. You can fix this slight issue by explaining to Elgyem that those kinds of things are displays of affection. It will understand and will probably be very excited to learn something like that!

**Battling: **Even a total scrub at MMO games (such as myself) knows that when creating a character, you have to distribute stats into different areas to fulfil what kind of character you want to play as. If you want a tank that can soak up attack, you invest in Defence. If you want a sweeper, you invest in Speed and Attack. If Elgyem were an MMO character, it would be some kind of expert mage with obscenely high MP and Magic Attack, but crappy stats everywhere else.

Geez, listen to me talking about games. This is what I get for letting Bianca hang around for too long… The point I'm trying to say is, Elgyem are extremely powerful psychics with minds that can be wielded as truly fearsome weapons. However at that cost, Elgyem has a weak and frail body that easily collapses from even small injuries.

With its ability Elgyem can instantly break or destroy the mind of anyone dangerous, which would kill them or make them retarded. However that would violate rule number one of the Psychics, and subsequently incur the wrath of Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf and every other psychic in the region. In other words, it's suicidal.

Even though they are not allowed to outright damage or manipulate minds, they can still inflict damage or pain upon them. Should an enemy get too close Elgyem can inflict the most brutal, unendurable headaches possible, rendering them prone or unconscious in seconds. This practically allows you to win every battle you're thrown into! It's a disc one nuke!

However Psychics and Legendaries resist this power, and Dark and Ghost types are outright unaffected by it at all. Furthermore it is illegal to use this move in official matches against other trainers for obvious reasons, and Elgyem itself doesn't like abusing this power. It's only good for saving lives when there is no other alternative.

With its ability to read emotions Elgyem can detect and nearby wild Pokémon or trainers that have the intention of battling you. This is incredibly useful as it gives you the chance to make a pre-emptive strike, flee, or react swiftly enough to survive. I can't tell you how many times I've had little kids jump out of bushes and demand Pokémon matches.

Battles with Elgyem must always be fought at a distance. If the enemy lands a hit on Elgyem, it's all over. When in battle, Elgyem launches barrages of Psychic attacks as Psybeam and Confusion, while inflicting mental suffering on the attacker. Not only must the foe endure Elgyem's rapid attacks, it must withstand the pain, raw emotions or awful imagery Elgyem is project into its mind. Some Pokémon become so distracted by this they even forget they were attacking you! Don't get cocky though; make sure Elgyem continues to retreat backwards while it proceeds to fight.

Another one of Elgyem's OP abilities is its short-distance teleportation. It's called 'blinking' on all of those games Bianca forces me to play. In the blink of an eye Elgyem can move a maximum of two metres in distance, a skill which is obscenely useful as you can imagine. If an enemy somehow manages to dodge Elgyem's barrage of psychics attacks and mental onslaught, Elgyem can simply blink out of harm's way. This takes a _massive _amount of energy and using it too much can make Elgyem exhausted. On average you can only use it once per battle.

Overall Elgyem is the kind of Pokémon that makes battles short and sweet. If you prefer quick and savage battles or dislike long, drawn out battles then Elgyem is a great choice you can use.

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Elgyem is highly friendly and accepting of other species in general and holds no sort of racism whatsoever. Many others will judge someone by their species and what kind of reputation that particular species has, but Elgyem can see straight into a Pokémon's heart and know what kind of person they are. For example, most Liepard are selfish and malicious, and thus most would assume that of any Liepard. But occasionally there is a genuinely kind Liepard out there, and Elgyem will recognize it straight away. Alternately, Leavanny are a loving species so everyone assumes that they are all like that. But corrupt, sinister Leavanny do exist, and Elgyem can point them out. Due to this those kind Pokémon who are mistaken for being evil due to their species are very grateful to Elgyem for being so understanding, and they often become Elgyem's closest companions. Because Elgyem is an already disliked species, being seen with other seemingly bad species only makes things worse.

Because of the hype and panic they caused 50 years ago, along with several other reasons that won't be revealed until next chapter, Elgyem are a hated species that are discriminated by many. The other psychic types, particularly Gothitelle, know that Elgyem is completely innocent and does not deserve to be hated at all. But they damn well know what Elgyem evolves _into_, and thus with a sympathetic tone of regret they must treat them as an enemy.

Long story short, not many are going to take kindly to poor, sweet Elgyem, and putting another Psychic type in there is going to get someone killed. It will take painfully detailed scrutiny to determine who you can have on the same team _before _you include Elgyem. One wrong move and your entire team will dissolve into chaos, rage and prejudice.

**Warnings: **_Never _attempt to hit or strike Elgyem in anger. It will read your intentions and use its psychic abilities to defend itself. Not only will this ruin your bond with Elgyem, but your mind may suffer extensive trauma depending on how much force Elgyem applied to your brain. In one or two cases they have accidentally given their trainers a brain haemorrhage.

**Summary: **Form the sound of it, Elgyem is a perfect Pokémon. It's kind, caring, intelligent, loyal to a fault, useful in battle, doesn't need to be feed or maintained and can understand you on a level that no other can. All in all, it's a species that should have my top recommendation.

But it doesn't. In fact, I strongly advise you never bother catching one of these things. It's true that Elgyem is a fantastic Pokémon, but once it evolves that all goes to hell, and so will you too. There's a reason why the Psychics despise this species, and if you want around for this sweet little creature to evolve you won't live long enough to fully understand why. Introducing the another monster who should be part of the Dangerous Seven, Beheeyem.

**Next Time… Number 112 Beeheeyem!**

* * *

**A/N: X-Xerneas is a Fairy? IHATEYOUGAMEFREAKIHATEYOUGAMEFREAKIHATEYOUGAMEFREA KIHATEYOUDIEDIEDIEDIE. Good thing I had my back-up plan of making him a Steel-Grass type.**

**On another note, the newly revealed professor is **_**disturbingly **_**similar to Professor Furhi. In fact, I'm actually going to have to edit Fuhri's physical appearance so he doesn't look like a clone of that guy… He even has the same goddamn shirt and coat combo that Fuhri wears!**

**Poor Fuhri seemed to be dithering away for the whole chapter. He has such a terrible attention span, I wonder how he even made it through school.**

**I don't like OC regions, mostly because they are poorly executed by the fanfiction fandom in general. But Sunawyr is a region that I've been planning for quite some time now, and while it isn't of any great importance it deserves a mention. Sunawyr is a faraway region based on our Middle East/Arabia, and Jirachi, Meloetta, Landorus and several species of Pokémon come from there. It has a diabolical history filled with religious wars that continue to this day and as a result the other regions avoid mentioning it entirely. It has a lot of crazed cults that worship gods; some real (such as Jirachi) but others fictional. Lt. Surge fought in this region while he was still in the military.**

**I was thinking… would you like me to make an index at the very end of the guide, which goes into further detail about the people, places, groups, objects and events that I've made up and included in this guide, such as Sunawyr, Sin Vida Town, The Purrloin Alert Force, The Dangerous Seven, Duke Emeraldton, Dampeners, etc etc? I think it would make a nice extra little treat.**


	125. 112 Beheeyem

**Number: **# 112

**Type: **Psychic

**Species: **Cerebral - Brain

**Gender: **50% Male – 50% Female

**Japanese Name: **Ohbem

**Human Friendship Level: **_**Abysmally Low**_

**Description: **Despite being one of the most dangerous, sociopathic Pokémon capable of being found in our region, Beheeyem is not listed as dangerous, is not a member of the Dangerous Seven, and no effort by the government or governing bodies has been made to make the public aware of how potentially catastrophic this species is. Not only does this imply that the government couldn't care less about the welfare of their citizens, but that they have no idea how dangerous some species actually are. Even the URA (Unova Ranger Association) have complained that further effort needs to be done to make sure people have limited contact with this dreadful species. And for the record, even the URA themselves weren't concerned with warning people about Eelektross, on the basis that 'people should know better than to approach such an obviously dangerous species'.

The Unova Government, like most governments across the world, is a top secret organization that has minimal contact with the rest of the world. At the centre of the Unova region lies an island called the Entralink. This area is fiercely guarded by the military, and not even _they _are allowed to go near the governmental buildings which are hidden throughout and underneath the island. It's implied that a massive complex is concealed underneath the island, and that is where the government rules. If a citizen approaches the Entralink, they are captured without fail and returned to the mainland, with severe fines if they are lucky, or an accusation of conspiracy against the government and subsequent imprisonment if not.

No one knows how the government actually functions and who is in charge. For all we know it could be run by a president, a council, a magistrate or some other unknown force of leadership. The only members of government who contact the rest of the world are the Speakers and the Listeners. The Speakers are people who declare the important decisions the government makes to Unova and the rest of the world, whereas the Listeners are people who gather information from the people and relay it to the government.

For example, say a region declared it had the intention of invading Unova. The moment that happened, the Listeners would disperse throughout Unova and gather information on how the public reacted, what the public wanted and what the public expected the government to do about it. Once enough research had been done, the Listeners would return to the government and relay their information, and in later weeks the Speakers would appear and make a statement on what happening and what people should do. Through this form of communication the government can remain completely anonymous but still communicate with the region and its inhabitants.

Despite seemingly incredibly suspicious the government does its best to please everybody and for the most part everyone is pacified with how the government is ruling. 'Small' issues such as their failure to notify the public about lethal Pokémon such as Beheeyem and Eelektross are swept under the rug and ignored. Complaining to the Government gets you nowhere so most people don't bother-

"Knock knock! Hee~ You're rambling again Furry! Didn't Miss Juniper tell you it's bad for your book if you drone on like that?"

What the hell? Bianca? What are you- Go away! I'm recording!

"Heeeeereeee~! This is a referral form from Miss Juniper. She's busy helping Professor Park transfer some Kalos Pokémon this weekend, so she wants you to give the starters out to these trainers-"

What! No way! I'm not doing that! These kids will never find my lab, and besides, I'm not good with kids…

"Toooo baaaad! Juniper said this is your punish for being asshol- um, meanie earlier. She's still really upset about that, by the way."

What did she say? Oh hold on, lemme turn this off-

* * *

Ahem, despite that horrible and inconvenient interruption by Bianca, she was actually correct. I shouldn't ramble away like that. Maybe I should have a talk to Mr Juniper about staying on task…

The reason I brought up the government and its neglectful approach was to clarify that even though our ruling body doesn't let you know, Beheeyem is something you shouldn't mess with. It may seem like I'm being over reactive about these dangerous Pokémon as of late, but it's better you fear something more than you need to rather than less.

As you know, the Elgyem that inevitably evolve into Beheeyem take residence at Celestial Tower and the nearby Fortitude Woods. These quiet places give the Elgyem a lush and plentiful retreat where they can live happily without being harassed by humans or other species, and thus any interaction they do get is welcomed. Unless a kindly human comes along and convinces them to follow this is where they will remain indefinitely. That is, until it's time to evolve.

Much like how a pregnant Pokémon will realise that she will soon go into labour, Pokémon can tell when the call of evolution is looming. They refer to it as an 'energetic force trembling throughout their veins', strange considering that not all Pokémon _have _veins. For most species this instinct fills them with excitement and anticipation for the next stage of life, but it fills Elgyem not only with black despair, but a sense of resignation, of defeat; that everything they've been working on until now was in vain.

Upon realising that they are close to evolution, the Elgyem will flee back to the desert as fast as it can, leaving everyone and everything behind. Usually the gap between noting impending evolution and actually evolving is around one week; giving them only a small window of time to make it back to the deserts in time. They do this not only to protect themselves, but to protect everyone else around them. At least this way no one will be forced to see what Elgyem becomes when it can no longer hold back the call of evolution.

Elgyem and Beheeyem are named the Cerebral Pokémon for a good reason. Of course all Psychics deal with the mind and the concepts related to it; some focus on developing their own minds, some focus on manipulating the environment or enhancing their abilities, and others focus on manipulating the minds of others. Beheeyem is a species that focuses almost entirely on the third class. Of all the Pokémon in the world there is no other who understands better how the mind functions, and how to twist or shape it however they please.

As I've mentioned in several chapters before, evolution changes not only the body, but the mind also. It's not surprising, during the process the entire body, including the brain is broken down into energy matter and then rearranged to fit the template for the new body. The brain is a sensitive organ, so it's amazing that personality usually remains relatively the same for most species.

But the alien brains of Elgyem are different than the ones found on earth. Most humans and Pokémon only have control of some of the brain, whereas Psychics have and some other species have access to much deeper parts of the psyche. But because of their different layout, structure and potentially unique brain cells only found in their brains, Elgyem have access to nearly their entire brain, allowing them to do things that other could not.

For example, your heart is always pumping blood around your body, regardless of whatever state your mind is in. In certain circumstances it will react accordingly to the environment, such as beating faster when you exercise. Even though this is always happening, you have absolutely no control over it. But Elgyem (and Beheeyem) can speed up, slow down or even stop tier heart at will, simply because the region of their brain controlling those muscles is easily within their grasp. Only Uxie has more control than them, and he's the god of Knowledge!

Since their brains are unique to their kind they are adversely affected by evolution, it's almost as if they were never supposed to evolve in the first place. Seeing how interested the Elgyem are in tinkering and experimenting, some have been led to believe that the Elgyem themselves messed around with their own brains until intentionally or unintentionally triggered the process of evolution, thus birthing Beheeyem. Of course there is absolutely no evidence to support this, so it's up to you to decide whether it's true or not.

At any rate, the Elgyem brain is not something that is prepared for evolution. While most brains retain all memories and a majority of personality and characteristics; the Elgyem brain loses _absolutely everything _in an instant, effectively making them an entire new person. Who they were, how they behaved, what they liked and disliked, all the achievements they'd made, it all effectively counts for nothing. Beheeyem doesn't remember anything and even if it did it couldn't care less about who it was.

The limbic system, the part of the brain that mostly governs emotions, is nearly non-existent, replaced by other brain matter that focuses on amplifying Beheeyem's ability to manipulate external stimuli. In effect this makes Beheeyem nearly completely incapable of experiencing emotion, causing them to be soulless husks controlled only by logic. Emotions such as love, compassion, sadness or guilt are impossible for Beheeyem to experience; but it's been shown that they can experience anger, jealousy and vengeance. They can also experience pleasure and excitement, but this only makes the situation _worse. _

This is the first reason why Elgyem flee to the desert, and in domestic cases abandon their trainer. Even though they won't remember once they evolve, they still desperately don't want their trainer to watch everything they've done together become undone, to watch their precious little Elgyem warp into something else. Even though it may seem horrible to a trainer to wake up and find their Elgyem missing, this is Elgyem's final way of proving it cares about you.

Upon returning to the desert, the Elgyem (or if they were too late, Beheeyem) will relocate to the north eastern desert in a place called The Strangelands, aptly named due to the huge amount of weird crap that goes on here. The area is considerably large, with Sin Vida Town sitting on the eastern border, and the very north western tip not far from Route 4 itself. Most of the phenomena occur in the heart of The Strangelands, which is three days travel east of Sin Vida Town. In this place the Elgyem can finally stop holding back evolution and get on with the next phase of their lives, as much as they regret it.

It's worth noting that The Strangelands only earned that name _after _the Beheeyem started living there. Before that it was a quiet, empty area of dry desert known as the Metaphes Desert Plains. Nothing noteworthy ever happened, but it was thickly populated by many species of Pokémon that resided there.

But ever since Beheeyem showed up hundreds of people crossing the desert have gone missing, bringing the total past _seven hundred_ last year! There are a lot of places in Unova where people go missing each year, but no other place has collected that many lives in such a short period of time. Of those that go missing most are never seen again, vanishing completely off the face of the earth. The people who _do _show up are either mutilated corpses, or have suffered severe mental trauma or brain damage to the point where they are unable to communicate effectively.

Furthermore any electronic or electrical equipment brought into this region begins to fail, becoming useless to whoever was trying to use it. This can range from cell phones, GPS, Pokédexes, and even vehicles. Some people thought they would be fine if they quickly drove through The Strangelands, but their vehicles broke down and the occupants subsequently went missing. If you travel there, you will find the occasional truck or jeep dotting the landscape.

Furthermore, any aircraft that fly over The Strangelands have their engines and equipment fail and thus they fall right out of the sky and into the desert below. The first victim of this was a Mantine 636 forty eight years ago. The pilot send a distress signal before crashing in the heart of The Strangelands with no communication established after. When the search and rescue crew went missing _as well, _the government banned any commercial aircraft from flying over that region. Due to that any planes have to give a wide berth to prevent themselves from suffering the same fate.

It is still legal for privately owned aircraft to fly there, but the government and the Aviation Society both discourage it, but nevertheless many people still do it for varied reasons. Some simply want to tempt fate, and others want to discover The Strangeland's secrets for themselves. Every last part of Unova has been mapped out in the last fifty years, _except _The Strangelands. Due to that, some people attempt to fly over and map the area out but there have been no successful attempts so far. It's been said that all of the plane wreckages are still there, but they are too deep within that deadly place for anyone the attempt finding them.

Like I said before, this area used to the flooded with many different species competing for the land and what scarce resources it contained. Well, after the Beheeyem came along many of them were killed off, and any survivors were scared off. The Krookodile, Sandslash and their ilk fled east, while everyone else fled south. Ever since then no other species has bothered to reclaim the area back from the Beheeyem; and in the eyes of the wild Pokémon it is a forsaken area. If you try entering it from the south, Pokémon such as Braviary will ward you off.

Back then the Beheeyem were small in number, and they were going up against literally thousands of Pokémon of all kinds of species, some of which were _immune _to Psychic attacks. Yet regardless of that only after six months of fighting the Beheeyem took complete control of the area and decimated thousands of Pokémon, all without drawing much attention to themselves. But just _how in Arceus' name did they pull that off! _Not even a _legendary _could handle that many Pokémon at once! I for one am stumped by it; it just doesn't seem possible in the first place. But considering their connection with outer space, there lays the possibility that they were assisted by another alien species we are not aware of, or had access to advanced technology we haven't seen. That is the only explanation that makes sense to me.

Unsurprisingly, the entire region was thrown into chaos when news of this massacre rippled throughout the rest of this region, and Pokémon far and wide were tense for quite some time. Mr Juniper was alive at the time, and he remembered his Lillipup, a normally cheerful Pokémon, sat at the window for days facing the direction of the desert.

Due to their overwhelming victory you can find thousands of bones scattered everywhere, sometimes even forming mounds. It's a god-awful macabre place alright. Most of these are the bones of desert Pokémon, but occasionally you can find bones of Pokémon that live nowhere near the area, including human bones. This is because any Pokémon travelling with their trainer will inevitably meet the same demise as their owner, thus their bones join the countless others. Once people have held competitions to go out and collect a full skeleton, but it ended shortly after half the participants went missing in the first two hours.

Furthermore strange lights, vibrations and even radioactive waves have been seen or detected from within The Strangelands, among many more series of phenomena. People go missing more often around these times, and the people of Sin Vida Town have built reinforced shelters under their houses where they hide when things like this happen. Of course the Beheeyem are behind everything that occurs there, from the missing persons to the technological interference. But how they manage to do all of it _and _remain undetected remains a secret. Needless to say, The Strangelands are the most feared and desolate place in Unova and no one should ever go there. Arceus knows what the Beheeyem do to the people they get their limbs onto.

**Personality: **Personality? _What _Personality? Beheeyem have almost no sense of individuality and act almost like a hive mind; working continuously together for some nefarious plot that we haven't figured out yet. Tests have indicated that they don't have personal opinions _or _morals and they communicate in a language that hasn't been decoded. They never stop to rest or contemplate things and get things done in a disturbingly short period of time. They're like the perfect workforce an army could ever want…

The most prominent personality traits that Beheeyem display is their sadistic pleasure in inflicting suffering upon others, and their fascination with toying with the minds of various creatures. As I said before, Beheeyem simply don't have the brain tissue that deals with most emotions and thus they are completely incapable of feeling emotions such as love, empathy, guilt or remorse. Having tinkered with countless minds they understand these emotions and the effects they bring very well, but they will never experience them for themselves. You know what they say, no amount of knowledge can ever equate to a first-hand experience. Unfortunately this leads to them being experts at manipulating emotions for their own needs. In the right circumstances they can drive you to suicide without using their psychic powers at all!

During the Team Plasma incident a Team Plasma member suggested that perhaps Beheeyem have no concept of morality and thus are technically not evil, since they cannot perceive such a thing. This was refuted shortly after as it's been shown Beheeyem fully understand the concept of morality, they know what they do is pure evil, and they relish in doing it anyway. Something like "Who cares about good or evil! So long as I get to kill people and obliterate their brains the moral repercussions are void!" would be the kind of response Beheeyem itself would give. There's no helping something as unscrupulous as that.

Beheeyem absolutely love extinguishing life; that is a well-established fact. But unlike most predators, who enjoy killing creatures as a whole, Beheeyem simply likes killing the brain, as technically that is all there is to a person; the rest of the body is only there to keep the brain or 'person' alive. Due to that anyone slain by a Beheeyem will show no sign of physical injury and may even seem like they're sleeping. In some cases Beheeyem may inflict brain haemorrhaging, which is the only sigh to show someone has met their demise at the hands of such a monster.

But Beheeyem are a more sadistic and meticulous predator; even when they have their prey firmly in their grasp they toy around with them, slowly unwinding their mentality until they go from a civil person into a degenerate mindless creature. Rather than break the mind immediately, they slowly take it apart piece by piece, usually with the aid of traumatic events dredged up from the victim's memory, or out of their deepest fears. For example, they might seal the victim deep within their own mind, trapped within an endless labyrinth filled with their primal fears around each corner. Then, Beheeyem will sit back and watch as the victim's mind begins to weaken…

Have you even had a dream where you wake up to find yourself in another dream? And when you wake up you question whether you're really awake at all? That's another tactic the Beheeyem like using for their own pleasure. They lock the victim away in a never-ending loop of dreams so everything they 'wake up' they're stuck in another dream. Beheeyem's ultimate goal of this is to make the victim unable to discern between dreams and reality so when they _do _wake up they aren't sure whether they're aware or not. The Beheeyem have used this tactic to convince people to return to their homes and massacre everybody there.

Beheeyem seem to enjoy manipulating people and Pokémon as though they were chess pieces, all being involuntarily forced around by Beheeyem's will for its own means. The ability to dominate and warp others as though they were nothing but chess pieces in Beheeyem's great chessboard of life gives it a certain satisfaction. Ironically they hate being outsmarted and will proceed to thrown a tantrum if they are outwitted. It's not wise to do this though, because if Beheeyem catches you will with inflict unspeakable suffering until your last agonizing breath. There are numerous cases of Pokémon committing suicide once to escape Beheeyem and its cruel mental torture.

If they have no choice, the Beheeyem will forge their own pleasure and rend an enemies' mind apart, either killing them or permanently brain damaging them. This takes and extraordinary amount of effort and thus they can only do it occasionally or they will be too tired to fight. If attacked by multiple enemies Beheeyem will break the minds of the strongest or the leaders and then pick of the rest. If there are multiple Beheeyem then the battle has already swung fully in their favour.

Due to this battles against Beheeyem are _obscenely _dangerous and you are guaranteed to lose at least one or two of your Pokémon, if not your own life. To lose your Pokémon in an instantly like that, it can really tear you apart. Fortunately Dark types resist all of Beheeyem's attacks and psychic abilities thanks to their typing, and Psychics too can easily hold their own against Beheeyem thanks to having stronger, defensive minds. Even though Bugs have an advantage over Psychics, they have no defence against Beheeyem's attacks at all.

Effectively the worst thing Beheeyem is capable of doing is taking over your body once it's broken your mind. Once you're no longer there to commandeer your own body, Beheeyem can easily take over instead. They scrutinize the host's personality down to the smallest details by searching around the brain and are able to imitate the host to a terrifying degree. There's no way a Beheeyem would ever be able to approach a city; but its human puppets can fit in easily. Around 50 'human puppets' are discovered throughout the region each year, with hundreds more Pokémon puppets as well. This is probably the method the Beheeyem use to observe and gather information about the world outside if their well-defended Strangelands.

With the right equipment or Pokémon, you can disable Beheeyem's mental abilities and make it virtually harmless. When in this state Beheeyem goes from being overconfident and sinister to cowardly and submissive. That's because without their mind they cannot fight or defend at all as their physical bodies are weak and fragile; you could probably deal some real damage yourself to Beheeyem in this situation.

But as pathetic as they are in these situations, Beheeyem are still highly intelligent and will be constantly plotting a way to escape the situation and then come back to kill you and everyone else involved. They show absolutely no mercy to anyone, let alone someone who has inconvenienced them. If you've made the mistake of letting a Beheeyem get away, I hope you enjoy spending the rest of your life in hiding.

**Lifespan: **They don't seem to _have _a natural lifespan. Every sentient creature on the planet is essentially just a brain and thus so long as someone's brain lives on, they do to even when the body may have gone. That's because the brain is what keeps someone's soul tied to their body.

The Beheeyem have the strongest brains of all, and not only does this make them mentally capable of any things, but it also means even if their body is damaged their brain can still work relatively fine. Beheeyem With the way it is Beheeyem can sustain their own brain for very long times and thus can live much longer than most. Eventually they will begin to grow weary and will become unable to support themselves anymore, but that is a long way off.

Fortunately while tinkering around with human radios and such the Zoroark discovered that certain audio frequencies put strenuous pressure on Beheeyem's brains, forcing it to use extra mental effort to block out these painful waves. Normally the Zoroark stay well away from humans and remain distanced; but when they discovered this they came all the way to Nimbasa City to notify the humans. They admitted that a few Zoroark had been killed by the Beheeyem, and they were willing to assist humanity as vengeance.

Because these frequencies distract the Beheeyem so, it means they are unable to maintain their own brain as effectively as normal and thus their lifespans are permanently shortened; being in the range of one of these frequencies for longer than an hour can reduce a Beheeyem's life by a few years!

To discourage the Beheeyem from attacking, dozens of broadcasting towers have been placed around Sin Vida Town and the northern area of Route 4. Thanks to that these areas are now much safer and the Beheeyem tend to avoid them as much as they can. More have been placed along the eastern shore to prevent the Beheeyem from crossing the Halin River and into the eastern areas of Unova. They're quite expensive but the government pays the fees anyway to prevent travellers from coming across any Beheeyem. I guess they are aware of how malicious Beheeyem is; they just aren't letting anyone know.

So to cut it short, Beheeyem won't be dying anytime soon. But you shouldn't be anywhere near a Beheeyem anyway, and if you were you would be more worried about your own lifespan!

**Diet: **It still doesn't have a mouth, so no food for Beheeyem. That also means that it doesn't breathe either. We all know that brains needs oxygen to survive; that is literally the most fundamental thing required to keep an organism alive. But I'm not sure whether Beheeyem uses some other form of respiration, or simply doesn't need oxygen at all. I guess I need to brush up on my anatomy… It does mean that Beheeyem can travel through space without worry; no need for food, no need for air, a sufficiently long life span to travel great distances… Who knows, perhaps there are thousands of Beheeyem travelling across space towards us right now?

**How To Bond: **You wouldn't be reading this if you let your Elgyem evolve, or if you caught a wild Beheeyem. Why? Because you would be a rotting corpse, or Beheeyem's mindless puppet. There is no possible way these sociopaths can be befriended or trusted, every moment they're plotting against us simply because they want us to suffer. They deserve every bit of punishment they get.

If you've ever owned an Elgyem, I'm certain you released it long ago or through some means obtained an Everstone. Everstones are extremely rare and expensive so the average trainer would never be able to afford one, so the prior is most likely. Or maybe you _are _dead, and I'm recording a guide for a dead person in the future… Creepy.

Normally Beheeyem ignore negotiation offers and attack anyone who approaches them immediately so any attempts at catching one results in failure, usually in the form of death. This is simply one more species classified as unbondable and this time it fits the description to a capital T.

There is, however, one man who has succeeded in making a Beheeyem happily obey him. There is only one man who could possibly be as evil as this species, and we all know him as Ghetsis. Just like any other potential trainer his Beheeyem initially tried to kill him, but after restraining it Ghetsis proposed that so long as Beheeyem obeyed him, it would be allowed to kill or experiment on as many of humans as it a wanted to once Ghetsis took over Unova. Ghetsis also struck up a very similar deal with his Cofagrigus.

As we all know Ghetsis failed in his ambition, and his Beheeyem was found and subsequently killed when the government did a thorough search through Team Plasma's Castle. Despite being an incredibly useful Pokémon for his plans, Ghetsis didn't use it on his main fighting team. Instead, he placed it in charge of interrogating and torturing prisoners in the lower region of the castle. I hope Arceus took pity on the poor souls that were trapped in the same room as that horrible thing for so long.

**Love: **Haha, this subsection feels like a waste of time sometimes. Like right now. Actually, this whole chapter feels like a waste of time since no one will probably ever be dumb enough to try and catch one of these in the first place; and even if they did there would be no advice I could offer for them.

Sorry, but reality isn't going to cater to your twisted attraction towards Beheeyem. If you're really that depraved go onto the internet and blend in with all the other freaks there.

**Battling: **Considering how pointless it is to even try catching one of these things, this Battling subsection will focus on how to fight _against _them. I'm sure it'll be more useful to you.

Beheeyem don't even bother fighting. They just seize your mind, and then it's all over. That's really what makes Beheeyem such a huge threat; even brutal Pokémon will usually give you the chance to place your Pokémon for battle but Beheeyem doesn't even let you battle in the _first place! _

Beheeyem can only control one mind at a time, so if faced with two or more enemies it will instantly kill one and turn its attention to the others and fight with conventional methods. Crushing a mind makes Beheeyem very exhausted, so it won't be able to damage or control another mind for the rest of the fight. That's why any wild Pokémon forced to fight a Beheeyem will always fight in packs; even if it means temporarily allying with former foes. But if multiple Beheeyem show up, even a sizable horde can swiftly be taken down.

As I said Beheeyem have pathetically fragile bodies and even a weak attack can stagger them. A lot of their mental effort is focused around shield their own bodies from harm, and thus when they actually fight their attacks aren't as strong as they should be. Whenever Beheeyem expects a fight to start it will immediately use Calm Mind several times so it can focus on boosting its attacks rather than worry about itself. In addition to that Beheeyem will always try to keep its distance or worse yet stay out of sight, making an already hazardous battle even more drawn out and strenuous.

Fights against Beheeyem should be quick, brutal and concluded as quickly as possible, and you should only be trying to fight it if you have no other choice. The best tactic is to have long range Pokémon fire away at Beheeyem and draw its attention, while other Pokémon rush Beheeyem and strike it down as quickly as they can. The long range Pokémon should preferably be Dark types as they will be immune to Beheeyem's attacks, plus they will make Beheeyem worry and distract it from the other Pokémon rapidly closing in on it. SO long as one Pokémon manages to close the gap and strike Beheeyem, the battle is almost over. Pain severely incapacities Beheeyem's abilities, so it will be unable to muster a counter attack once you start pummelling it.

Please note that you are certainly going to lose at least _one _of your Pokémon by going up against this species. Possibly two if the battle ends up being drawn out too long. Your Pokémon will probably have no idea that their lives will end the moment you send them out of their ball, and if they do it's because they care enough about you to throw their own lives away. The things Pokémon are willing to do for humans… it can really be heartrending sometimes…

Please promise me just one thing. _**Never **_send your starter out against one of these. It was born, raised, trained and give to you so it may serve as your companion and most loyal friend for the rest of its life. For something so misfortunate to happen to such selfless Pokémon… The world shouldn't be this way…

**With Fellow Pokémon: **Beheeyem is the most hated species in the region, no doubt about it. For a species that's only been around for just over fifty years to become the most despised creatures in that period of time, it paints an obvious portrait of what they're like.

There are lots of killers and murders in our land, so if Beheeyem stopped there then it wouldn't stick out. But not only do Beheeyem kill and murder, they warp minds, rewrite personalities, mentally torture and enslave dead bodies to use for their own purposes, and they take a sadistic pleasure in doing all of this. To see someone not only kill someone but desecrate their body in such a way, it sickens many species to their stomachs. Ghost types are known to be particularly cruel, but even so they have more respect for the dead than anyone else. It's no surprise that the Ghost types fervently hate Beheeyem more than anyone else.

If the Beheeyem only targeted humans then some species wouldn't have minded. But the Beheeyem attack and kill anyone and everyone indiscriminately, providing a threat for everyone in the region. They have already proven that they spare no one and have caused grievances to most species. Even the strongly disliked Eelektross shares a hatred of this species, giving it some rare common ground with everyone else.

As such, _ALL _species of Pokémon are openly hostile against Beheeyem and will attack it on sight if their numbers are superior. The only species who aren't hostile are Cofagrigus and Chandelure, and that's because they're as equally twisted as Beheeyem is. Hydreigon is a species so stupid that they kill everything they see, so even though they don't mind Beheeyem's sadism they'll attack it anyway.

When the Elgyem first arrived the Gothitelle were they only people who recognized them, and it was through their frantic efforts that they warned all the other Pokémon of the demons that Elgyem evolved into. The Gothitelle's warnings were enough to convince the others that Elgyem was something that needed to be exterminated. But it wasn't until the first Beheeyem showed up that the rest of Unova got to see just how evil they truly are.

Judging from the messages the Gothitelle have been relaying, they have been at war with the Beheeyem for many centuries out in space, and when they immigrated to Earth they tried setting up precautions to prevent the Beheeyem from following them. That's right, the Gothitelle have been protecting our outer atmosphere for hundreds of years and we didn't even know!

Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf are the leaders and patron gods (goddess in Mesprit's case) of all Psychic types and as such all Psychic types look up to them. Long ago, around the same time humans were born, these three legendaries set up a series of rules that all Pokémon must obey, even though they were aimed at Psychic types. Anyone who fails to obey these rules is branded a pariah and Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf will personally hunt them down and punish them.

The very first rule is described as this: "The Mind is a wonderful gift bestowed to Pokémon and humans alike by us three divines, and should never be tampered with in any way. Ye Pokémon of great minds, take heed not to sully this gift lest you incur our wrath and bring destruction upon yourselves. We will ardently defend this blessing we hath given against all who seek to warp it for any purpose."

Please note that they don't speak in that archaic dialect anymore. Mesprit is actually a little bit shamed of the way she used to speak.

All species have obeyed these rules, if not simply out of fear of incurring the wrath of the legendaries. But Beheeyem, even with prior warning, have completely destroyed these rules without caring any less about the repercussions. According to Mesprit Uxie is a very quiet, shy, reserved and peaceable Pokémon, but when he heard of what the Beheeyem had been up to he went apeshit with rage.

Recently all three of the Guardians of Spirit have been sighted in Unova, and it's been confirmed that it has something to do with the Beheeyem. They have also been seen talking with huge gatherings of Gothitelle, discussing some sort of strategy. They have also been communicated with the desert Pokémon who have been ousted by the Beheeyem, _and _they have spoken to the Zoroark. Just what are they doing gathering so many Pokémon like that?

In any case, Beheeyem cannot leave the Strangelands without being killed by the first group of Pokémon that spot it. They must rely on each other and their heavily defended Strangelands in order to simply survive.

**Warnings: **This whole chapter has been a warning.

**Summary: ** So let's see. It's a sociopathic 'Pokémon' that kills and mutilates others at will, it had no regard for the life or mentality of anyone else, has no problem exterminating every other species of the planet, and already commit possibly the largest massacre in Unovan history and conquered an entire segment of the region, is the most hated species in the region with every other species being openly hostile against it, and is _more _dangerous than the Dangerous Seven!

You shouldn't be worrying about capturing one of these. You should be worrying about how to help exterminate these. For all we know, they're attempting to invade our entire planet and kill us all.

**Next Time… Number 113 Litwick!**

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**A/N: Slight discrepancy, Beheeyem are found in Route 14 in the games, but it makes more sense for them to be in the desert, in my opinion.**

**In the future, Uxie will lead an amassed army of Pokémon against the Beheeyem in a full on war. The Gothitelle will give full support, and the desert species will help as best they can. Since it occurs in the future and hasn't happened yet, I'm not telling you any more than that! Queue evil laugh.**

**I must remind everybody that this guide is a Work In Progress, and it shall **_**still **_**be a WIP even when the guide and index are completed. That's because I have to go back, fix mistakes, remove or correct discrepancies, remove information that will be covered in the index (such as the part in this chapter about the Unovan Government), and generally try and fix the Guide up so it reaches 'publishable' standards. So don't fret about any mistakes or inconsistencies you find, because they will be gone by the time I mark this story as completed. **

**Well, were you expecting this chapter to turn out like this?**


End file.
